Payless helps provde shoes for children
By Sam Atkins
Published in News on December 3, 2004 1:57 PM
All kinds of shoes will be in front of around 60 foster children in Wayne County on Dec. 11.
The children will have three hours to pick out at least two pairs each at the Payless Shoe Source on Spence Avenue in Goldsboro. The store will be opened only for them.
The event has been planned since October and hopefully it will become an annual event, said Brad Stallard, business manager at Chevrolet Cadillac of Goldsboro, which is giving each child a certain amount of money to buy the shoes.
There are 120 children overall that will receive shoes, but only half of them can come that day to pick them out. Most of the others are in group homes and will receive a gift certificate to come at a later date, he said.
"We are just very thankful that they care so much about our children to do something to make their Christmas a little more special," said Katherine Northrup with the Wayne County Department of Social Services.
Stallard said most of the children are under 9 and will be coming in with their foster parents. They will receive refreshments and will get a goody bag.
Stallard said an employee from Chevrolet Cadillac of Goldsboro took a foster child to Wal-Mart last year and noticed how they picked out shoes first. They wanted to do it this year on a larger scale.
"We are just trying to make this a good holiday for them," he said.
Mrs. Northrup said the Department of Social Services has a foster children fund that is seeking donations so the department can get the children Christmas gifts.
Anyone interested in making a donation should it to Wayne County DSS, The Foster Children's Fund, 301 N. Herman St., Goldsboro, N.C. 27530. All of the contributions will be used for Christmas presents, special trips and school functions for the children.
Foster children are children who have been removed from their family of origin due to abuse or neglect. Anyone interested in learning more about becoming a foster or adoptive parent can call 731-1062.