At one time, he may have been on the wrong side of Santa’s list.However, since being released from incarceration on June 19, he hasjoined Santa’s squad of little helpers and turned his life fullcircle.

Once running to the sound of cheers from Brookhaven High Schoolfootball supporters, the clank of a jail cell at Walnut Grove YouthCorrectional Facility was all it took for Charles Wilson to realizethat he wanted to get his life heading in the right direction.

“It’s easy to get in trouble, but it takes years to get out ofit,” said Wilson.

Wasting no time, Wilson would immediately make plans to giveback to the community.

“I see a lot of children around here less fortunate,” saidWilson, a former standout with the BHS Panthers. “People alwayssay, ‘This person needs this,’ but no one takes any action.”

With the help of the charitable organization 809 Entertainment,Wilson has been orchestrating a toy drive since Nov. 29.

Wilson said he has been talking with parents and teachers todiscover the names of less fortunate children. Wilson said he willplace all the names he acquires into a bowl and will randomlyselect two boys and two girls to receive the presents.

While several toy boxes became full of gifts and hair trimmingsat local barbershops and a hair salon, Wilson has been able tocollect about 45 toys until this point in the toy drive.

“I want these kids to have the best Christmas ever,” saidWilson. “These kids aren’t even anticipating anything.”

Wilson said a box will remain at Hotshots Barbershop until thetoy drive’s end on Dec. 23. The toys will then be delivered to theparents of the four children on Christmas Eve.

“We don’t want (the children) to see us doing anything,” saidWilson about hoping to keep the toy drive anonymous fromunsuspecting children.

The collection would be just the beginning of Wilson’s newoutlook on life. He added that while away from society over apurse-snatching incident, he was able to mature and realize thatthere are certain ways of living that cannot go on without end.

“The people that do the right things, they stick around,” saidWilson. “They can do what they do forever.”

The “right things” are exactly what Wilson is planning for hisfuture.

He said he would be donating some time at a local food missionand is preparing to begin classes at Copiah-Lincoln CommunityCollege, where he expects to gain the tools necessary to start acareer in web design.

Wilson also coached football at Lipsey Middle School this pastseason. While he enjoyed getting back to the game he loved to playgrowing up, Wilson took the time to educate team members’impressionable minds.

“That was fun getting to talk to kids about stuff other thanfootball,” said Wilson. “It was a chance to talk to them aboutlife, grades and obeying parents.”

While his past has been clouded and his future bright, Wilsonhopes that people can take something away from his story.

“I really want them to learn that life is a fight – you’re goingto get knocked down sometimes, but you have to keep swinging,” saidWilson. “If you do the right things, something’s going to panout.”