Paul Strobel has been spending his winter break mornings shoveling and plowing snow around his neighborhood so other people can have a nice Christmas.

At first, the 11-year-old started shoveling driveways and sidewalks to donate time and do something nice. When his neighbors tried to give him money for his work, he refused, but his neighbors insisted.

So, Paul decided to put the money toward helping other people.

Inspired by Brandon Palaniuk, a famous fisherman in Rathdrum who randomly handed out gift cards at a sporting goods store this season, Paul asked his dad to take him to his favorite store, Black Sheep Sporting Goods.

The boy bought two $20 gift cards Thursday, which he then gave to random people he found in the store.

“I walked up to them and just said that I’ve been shoveling snow and I want to make your Christmas a little better,” Paul said. “I don’t know what to tell you, I just wanted to help people for the Christmas holiday.”

The first people he gave a gift card to was a grandmother, a mother and a baby, whose cart was full of warm clothes. The small family didn’t want to take the money, but eventually accepted it.

“We’re pretty proud of him,” said Paul’s dad, Rob. “He woke up really early to shovel the sidewalks at his mom’s business and whenever it snows, takes the four-wheeler out to plow everyone’s sidewalk in the whole cul-de-sac.”

When Brian Knoll, an associate with Black Sheep Sporting Goods, found out what Paul had done, he invited him back to give him a gift card of his own and say ‘thank you.’

“He wanted to make people's holiday a little bit brighter — he inspired us,” Knoll said. “His act was inspiring to do good for others.”