Back-to-school blessings
By Sierra Henry
Published in News on August 20, 2018 5:50 AM
Full Size
News-Argus/CASEY MOZINGO
Teriajha Howard looks through shirts at Walmart while shopping with some of the volunteers from the Mary Wooten Harvey Foundation Saturday. Each student was given money to go shopping for clothes and school supplies for the upcoming year.
Full Size
News-Argus/CASEY MOZINGO
Joshua Basnight, 8, slips his foot into a boot with the help of his mother, Tangela Lewis, Saturday at Coaches while shopping with the volunteers from the Mary Wooten Harvey Foundation and other local organizations. Basnight went home with a pair of shoes and two hats.
When LaToya Beatty received a phone call that her son would have the opportunity to go back to school shopping with the Mary Wooten Harvey Foundation, she was surprised.
As a tall, young student preparing to enter his sophomore year of high school, LaToya said that clothes for Zavion's age are rather expensive. After the initial surprise faded, she was excited that he would have the chance to purchase something new for the school year.
"I was excited," LaToya said. "I felt good about it. I didn't know where they got his name from or anything, but I was just honored that he was chosen. It helps out a lot because he's a big boy.
"You know, a lot of his stuff is really expensive, and me being a single parent right now ... it helps out a lot."
Bobby Harvey, founder of the Mary Wooten Harvey Foundation, was able to take 11 elementary, middle and high school students back to school shopping at Walmart and Coaches, in downtown Goldsboro, Saturday.
Each student was given $100 to spend on whatever they needed to start the new year, whether it be school supplies or a fresh, new outfit.
"There are a lot of kids that for economic reasons or single parent homes can't prepare for the school year," Harvey said.
"That really sets a bad tone for the rest of the year. Kids are worried about looking like the rest of their friends or getting picked on because their clothes or their shoes are not up to par. It can really take away from the school experience and put a bad taste in their mouth about school."
Harvey was able to fund the back to school shopping outing with the help of a Facebook campaign, where he received a total of $625 in donations. He also donated $365 of his own money to raise the funds to $1,000.
"It's really important that kids who usually don't have those opportunities or usually don't go back-to-school shopping, to give them a chance to have something new too," Harvey said.
In order to help families who needed it the most, Harvey and his foundation turned to the Goldsboro Housing Authority for help. There, they received a list of families and students who were in need and contacted them.
"We wanted everyone that we did this for to be living in the housing projects," Harvey said. "So the best way to find out who need it the most is by going to the housing authority."
With the help of Mark Colebrook, Operation Unite Goldsboro founder, and Delavisha Harris Faison, co-founder of Mentoring Futures, Harvey split the group in two -- boys and girls.
While Harvey and Colebrook were in charge of helping the boys pick out new clothes at Coaches, Harris Faison worked with the girls and their families.
Many of the mothers of the 11 children who were chosen to go back to school shopping with the foundation reiterated the same notion: They were surprised, but excited. They felt blessed.
"It was truly a blessing -- I was surprised when I got the phone call that my son was chosen as one of 10 kids selected," Tangela Lewis said. "He was one out of five boys, and it was a blessing.
"Sometimes things come up unexpectedly and people have hard times from time to time, family emergencies ... Life just happens in general sometimes, and everyone needs a hand from time to time."
Lewis' son, Joshua Basnight, a rising third-grader, was able to purchase a pair of new shoes from Coaches with the $100 donated to them by the Mary Wooten Harvey Foundation.
New clothes for the start of the year were not the only items the students were able to purchase with the help of the foundation. Tasha Howard and her daughter, Teriajha Howard, were able to pick up school supplies, as well as a few outfits from Walmart.
"It was a blessing," Tasha said. "I really appreciate it -- I really do.
"It made me feel good to know that my baby was chosen. It does help out a whole lot. I wish there were more organizations out here that can help provide."
Teriajha, who is getting ready to enter seventh grade at Greenwood Middle School, she she was the most excited about her new outfit, which consisted of a pair of jeans and a flowery T-shirt.