SOURCE Goodwill Industries of Eastern North Carolina, Inc. (GIENC®)

Last week's event provided a "joyful shopping experience" for the children of S.W. Snowden Elementary, their parents, and siblings … at no cost.

AURORA, N.C., Dec. 18, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Victoria stared wide-eyed at the array of gifts spread across many tables. With the assistance of a Goodwill "Elf," Victoria* chose a doll and placed it in a bag. While it seemed as if Victoria appeared again in different clothing, the Goodwill Elf was amazed to discover that Victoria had an identical twin sister, also shopping for gifts.

GIENC partnered with the Aurora community to transform a vacant building into a festive holiday marketplace.

With the sound of holiday music, the aromas of cookies and coffee, and several squeals of joy, Victoria walked by tables full of various gifts looking for the perfect present to give to her grandmother.

Over four days in mid-December, Goodwill Industries of Eastern North Carolina (GIENC®), in collaboration with town officials, staff from S.W. Snowden Elementary, and community volunteers, transformed a vacant building into a festive Holiday Shoppe, complete with music, Christmas trees, cookies, and joy. Remote-control cars, dolls, and drones were just a few of the many gifts students and their family members got to choose from.

S.W. Snowden students got an opportunity to shop for new gifts at no cost for the family members in their homes. Additionally, parents of S.W. Snowden students were also provided an opportunity to shop for free for gifts for their children that attend the school.

An abundance of support came from school administrators, city officials, the local chamber of commerce, local restaurants, local artists, and the general community. GIENC's corporate team members each spent at least one day volunteering at the event.

"Community is wherever we are," said Christopher Hash, president & CEO of GIENC.  "The town of Aurora is the ideal place for the types of community-based initiatives that Goodwill provides. We're excited to be a part of the town's revitalization efforts, and the Holiday Shoppe was just one way for us to demonstrate our commitment to the community in a creative and sustainable manner."

S.W. Snowden, with a student population of 190, stands out for several reasons. The most striking is that 98% of Snowden students qualify for free or reduced-price lunches, indicating a high-level of economic disadvantage among the school population. Given the poverty level and lack of available goods locally, the Holiday Shoppe was also open to general community holiday shoppers for a suggested donation of $10 per item.

Adele Coffey, a 66-year resident of Aurora is a bus driver and teacher's assistant at S.W. Snowden Elementary, felt "overwhelmed" with gratitude.

"I just can't imagine how our kids are feeling," she said. "I've never, ever seen anything like this, for someone to give to our kids. I thank God for the people at Goodwill for just looking out for our kids. Somebody has a big heart. Our kids are going to make somebody happy this Christmas when they go under that tree and pull that gift out."

During GIENC's community assessments, the Aurora community, located in Beaufort County, was identified as facing critical challenges, including food insecurity. Classified as a food desert, the community's closest grocery store is more than 10 miles away.

Citizens of Aurora must travel long distances to reach stores where they can buy healthy food at reasonable prices. The USDA defines a "food desert" as "parts of the country vapid of fresh fruit, vegetables, and other healthful whole foods." At least 500 people and/or at least 33% of the population must live more than one mile from a supermarket or large grocery store. For rural areas, the distance is more than 10 miles and Aurora and Richland Township easily qualify.

As part of GIENC Feeds program, the decision to transform the vacant building at 150 South 5th Street in Aurora into a community food market was made. The community food market will employ people from the community and provide healthy choices close to where the people live. The doors should open in 2025.

Aurora Mayor Clif Williams said the timing of Goodwill's involvement is "perfect."

"It's awesome," he said. "There are so many positive things going on in our community, I get excited about it. If you ask the community if there was one thing they desired more than anything else, everyone wanted a grocery store. We've worked on this for years, but we were working to get things in order – create commerce, bring in business, generate tax dollars, attract more people, build housing, and then maybe we could bring in a grocery store. Goodwill skipped the whole process here and jumped in line. So, we have to shift our dominoes. The timing is perfect."

Goodwill Industries of Eastern North Carolina, Inc. (GIENC®) transforms lives through opportunities. For 60 years, GIENC has empowered individuals, families, and communities through employment, education, and life enrichment opportunities. A leader in innovative solutions, GIENC serves 51 counties and operates 42 employment program centers. Proceeds from GIENC stores fund grants given to community partners, aid in combating food insecurity and homelessness, provide free educational resources and support employment program initiatives. To donate or learn more about GIENC visit www.gienc.org.

Editor's note: To protect her privacy, some details about Victoria's shopping experience have intentionally been altered.

For additional information, contact:
Jim Cyphert, Innis Maggiore
Ph:  330-501-9886
Email: [email protected]

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