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CLINTON TOWNSHIP — Shopping for the holidays is hard enough, especially if you’re working with limited means. That’s where Shop with a Hero comes in.
A group of students from Clintondale Community Schools were provided with a $150 gift card each. Firefighters volunteered for the event, accompanying participants as they picked out gifts and essentials for their households. In addition to the gift card, families received a cart full of groceries from Meijer pre-packed and waiting at the registers. This year, 30 students took part.
The event takes place at Meijer on Groesbeck Highway near the intersection with Cass Road each year.
“It was incredible,” said Clinton Township Fire Department Lt. Adam Simon, who organizes Shop with a Hero, about the Dec. 14 event.
“Everything went really good, almost perfect I would say,” said Henry Rodd, Meijer’s store director.
Mt. Clemens firefighters also helped out at the event. Clinton Township had 13 firefighters participate and Mt. Clemens chipped in with seven volunteers.
“There have been guys from our department who have canceled vacations for this, who have come home early from things for this,” Simon said. “These guys don’t miss it. It’s something to look forward to every year.”
While the firefighters help the kids budget to maximize their gift cards, it is fun to turn them loose.
“All we really get to do is show up and have fun with kids and be ourselves and laugh and just watch them go crazy,” Simon said. “They have a blast. Their eyes go so wide.”
Meijer provides the funding for the gift cards and the carts full of groceries, according to Rodd. He said most Meijer stores participate in the event in some way.
“We also give them a Christmas dinner with a ham and all the fixings for that,” Rodd said.
One purchase that stood out to Simon this year was a kid buying a bouquet of flowers for a family member. He said kids are often generous, making purchases for their relatives.
“There are stories that come out of there every year that will bring you to tears,” Simon said.
Linda Brook, a social worker with Clintondale and an organizer for the event, said the event started up in 2009 at the Meijer location. Brook’s nephew, Adam Simon, got involved with the program in 2013 when he was telling her about it at a family holiday party. Brook mentioned getting Clintondale students involved in the program.
“The amazing thing about Linda is she knows the families who need it the most, could use it the most,” Simon said. “She’s even brought in special circumstances because she heard the story about this family or that family. They should be shopping with her.”
Brook said students are selected for the program based on Clintondale staff recommendations. She said those selected are a mix of those in need and kids in need of some additional recognition. Efforts are made to not select the same students twice.
“We want kids and families to understand the blessing this is,” Brook said.
Brook said students will oftentimes bring their families to join in the shopping experience, splitting off when needed to secretly buy gifts for those present.
“We appreciate the generosity of Meijer so much and the firefighters for giving their time to be able to do this,” Brook said. “I have kids who come back to me years later and remember this day. It’s just a very special day.”
“We’re always seeing us on their bad days, their worst days,” Simon said. “If we’re responding, something is going on. This is our chance to finally spend some time with our community, spend some time with the kids and show them love and generosity.”
