Going back-to-school shopping is a yearly activity many children look forward to, a chance to pick out that perfect Picture Day outfit or snag that new Disney character backpack. But for families struggling to make ends meet, it can feel more stressful than fun.
“As a child, I remember going school shopping,” said Sergio Fuentes, president of the Active 20-30 Club of Ukiah.
For Fuentes, those memories stick out as happy occasions, and he wishes that could be so for all families, regardless of their income.
The 20-30 Club, the Salvation Army and the Redwood Empire Lions Club together sponsored 50 children of low-income families in a back-to-school shopping spree on Saturday at JC Penney in Ukiah, $100 per child.
“The families that are shopping today wouldn’t have been able to shop for clothes without this help,” said Jan Michele, Ukiah Service Center Coordinator for the Salvation Army.
The 20-30 Club also donated backpacks and school supplies for all, while the Lions Club cooked breakfast and served coffee donated by Starbucks.
Other donations were made by local businesses, which went toward shopping money. This year was the second time the Salvation Army has partnered with JC Penney, which was also offering 25 percent discounts on Saturday.
Kerrie Mendez, this her third year of participating in the shopping spree for her children, said her 13-year-old son Michael Spurling had outgrown many of his clothes and was in need of pretty much everything.
“It really helps,” said Virginia Gonzalez, shopping with her 11-year-old son, Uriel, who got some new shoes and clothes.
Dawn Hunt, mother of three, said she usually buys things after school starts, so she was happy to have her children all set for the beginning of the year.
Shelby Klaisner, age 12, said “it was fun” to buy some new shirts and shoes.
Stephanie Lopez-Vassar, field rep for the Salvation Army, said they have been doing this shopping spree for five years, at Kohls and Walmart before.
Volunteers shopping with the children let them take ownership of the experience by picking out their own items based on what their parents say they need. That approach gives them confidence and ensures they are happy with what they wear to school, said Lopez-Vassar, which is extremely important when they interact with their peers.
“We’ve seen kids going back to school with more enthusiasm and better self-esteem,” she said.
The social aspects of school can be tough for children and teens, where some judgment and teasing are inevitable, and arriving on the first day feeling good about what they’re wearing certainly makes it better.
