WHITEHOUSE - In November, a small but mighty group of local church volunteers inspired a community by making care packages for soldiers. Their generosity was infectious... and one 12-year-old boy from Whitehouse... caught the bug.

Meet Jacob Cottrell.

At just 12 years old, Jacob is the definition of generosity and inspiration.

Jacob rallied his classmates and community, and together they collected more than 500 pairs of socks for soldiers in Afghanistan. But he never could have prepared for the surprise he got today, when one of those soldiers returned home to give him a very special "thank you."

Bill Washburn is a member of the 173rd Airborne in the United States Army. He says when he got the socks in Afghanistan, he had to meet the kid who sent them.

Washburn says, "It means the world to us. It's pretty cool when you get stuff from your family... it means a little bit more when you get it from people you don't know."

And Jacob says he would do it again in a heartbeat.

He says, "There's a lot of people around the world protecting the United States and defending our country and putting their lives on the line for us. So that was just a thanks to them."

And it's a thanks... that won't soon be forgotten.