Target help kids with back-to-school gear
By Ty Johnson
Published in News on July 26, 2011 1:46 PM
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News-Argus/MICHAEL K. DAKOTA
Sherri Fortner, right, helps Felicia Crisp, 13, search for uniforms and back-to-school clothes at Target this morning. Salvation Army volunteers escorted school-age children around the store, helping them choose items for the fall.
Kenny Igleheart stood in front of the dressing room at Target this morning, practically directing traffic around the department store.
Children and adults passed by pushing shopping carts as he answered question after question about school uniforms, supplies and book bags.
Igleheart, who took over command of the Salvation Army in Wayne County recently, was helping as best as he could, but between the school supply lists and the extensive selections, there were some questions he just couldn't answer. After all, it wasn't even the Salvation Army's money the underprivileged children were spending.
In a program in its second year, Target had donated up to $80 worth of gift certificates to 30 children who requested assistance from the Salvation Army to get help with school supplies and other back to school gear.
That donation, Igleheart said, would go a long way toward preparing each child for the first day of school next month.
"School supplies aren't on the top of the list when it comes to keeping the lights on," he said, noting Target's generosity to donate and give a handful of kids the chance to start school on even footing. "They were willing to help kids who needed assistance with school supplies."
Children from across the county were gathered to collect their necessities as volunteers from the Women's Auxiliary Board flanked them, offering support, suggestions and giving their assigned children a crash course in managing a budget.
Kathy Hooks directed Andrew Wade, 11, to budget out his funds as he shopped for gym shorts.
When Wade begins school at Grantham in August, he'll do so in a brand new pair of light blue gym shorts, though Mrs. Hooks said his decision was a practical one. As a football and baseball player, he'll be able to take his new duds into the classroom and to practice, so he counted the purchase as a success.
Meanwhile, Felicia Crisp, 13, was winding through the clothing racks in search of uniform clothing. Miss Crisp will continue her studies at Dillard Middle next month. Having already taken care of her necessities, she was looking for khakis and collared shirts, but a pair of high top Converses caught her eye.
Her size was out of stock.
She'll have everything she needs when school begins, but those shoes would have been the icing on the cake.
She tried on a pair that was nearly three sizes too big, trying to convince herself they could work.
But she them back in their box.
It was worth a shot, right?