On Christmas Day, kids got to put smiles on their family members’ faces as they opened gifts under the tree. A few weeks before, the kids had gotten a chance to go on a shopping spree at JCPenney store in Banks Crossing in Fayetteville as a part of the store’s holiday Just Got Jingled campaign.
One hundred kids, from the Boys and Girls Club of Metro Atlanta, received a $100 gift card from JCPenney to buy presents for their families. They also received help from a personal shopper in the form Atlanta Falcons’ wide receiver Devin Hester as to pick the perfect presents for their families.
A former member of the Boys and Girls Club in his home state of Florida, Hester knew the impact of BGCMA and what it aims to do for the children involved.
“I know what having a mentor, someone to look upto can do for you,” he said. “It gives you a positive environment where you learn to be a contributing member to society. Kids are the future and if we can do anything to help them be successful, we should.”
Hester, with his mother, founded Anytime 23 Empowerment Center, a nonprofit that creates positive environments for youth to develop important life, social and education skills.
As the children got to celebrate the holiday spirit with Hester and JCPenney, Terry Mitchell, executive director of BGCMA, wanted them to understand about the spirit of giving back year-round.
“I believe that the best way to inspire, motivate and empower our youth is by exposing them to opportunities where they experience the impact of another’s generosity,” Mitchell said. “I hope that the kids who participated in Just Got Jingled shopping spree learned that there are individuals who truly care about them and that their success allows them to make a positive difference for others.”
In other news: La-Z-Boy Furniture Galleries of Atlanta donated $8,000 to the Ronald McDonald House Charities at the Gatewood House near Emory University in Dec. 11. Ronald McDonald House Charities provides a home away from home for families with ill and injured children who must travel to receive treatment at Atlanta area hospitals.
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