Coalition for Kids is gearing up for its annual Shopping for Others excursion with about 110 of its children not included in any other Christmas outreach for kids in the Johnson City area in need.
Randy Hensley, executive director of the nonprofit, faith-based coalition that provides free after-school tutoring, snacks, meals and extracurricular activities for kids referred to the program by Johnson City schools, said that of all the volunteer opportunities the program offers, Shopping for Others is by far the most popular.
For every kid who receives a sponsorship to go along on the two-hour Walmart shopping spree, two adult volunteers are assigned to help them make their selections.
Each child receives $100 and a list of must-get items that their parents, grandparents or guardians have helped prepare.
Their lists most often include a new outfit of clothing, shoes and a coat for the child if they do not have one. Each kid must also budget in at least one toy for themselves and at least one gift they chose for someone else in their family.
Hensley said it’s the children’s selection of gifts for someone else that provide the night’s most touching moments.
“It’s a very common story among our volunteers, a very powerful moment when a child who has never had $100 decides to put back something they really want so they can buy more for someone at home. So that’s why they have to buy at least one toy for themselves.”
The event is scheduled this year for the night of Dec. 13 at the Walmart store on Browns Mill Road. The 110 children selected to go along are those whose names do not appear on the list of children included in this year’s Salvation Army Angel Tree shopping adoption project or on the Johnson City Schools Christmas outreach list.
In the six years the Coalition has been conducting Shopping for Others, Hensley said Walmart has been a most gracious host for the event and its staff extremely helpful to the children and volunteers.
The real challenge, he said, comes early in the shopping season when the Coalition is attempting to line up the $100 financial sponsorships needed for each of the children.
Linda Wallace, administrative assistant for the Coalition, said on Wednesday that funds for this year’s event are less than half the amount needed to take 100 to 110 kids shopping,
For those who wish to help, donations to Coalition For Kids earmarked for Shopping for Others may be made online at coalitionforkids.org or by mail to Coalition for Kids, P.O. Box 3156, Johnson City, TN 37601.
Volunteer applications and more information about Shopping for Others may be obtained by calling the Coalition at 434-2031.