J.C. Penney Corbin takes 25 children on Christmas shopping spree

Thanks to the efforts of a national department store chain, its Corbin store and a Williamsburg charitable organization, 25 less fortunate children got to participate in $100 Christmas shopping sprees Sunday evening.

“J.C. Penney in Corbin was gifted by our corporate office the opportunity to bring 25 children from our community into our store for a giving spree shopping. Each kid is given a $100 gift card and they can buy whatever their little hearts desire,” said Corbin J.C. Penney’s General Manager Drew Williams.

“We are so excited. It means so much. Giving back to the community that supports us is important to my company, J.C. Penney, but it is also important to myself and our team having an opportunity to give these kids a Christmas that they don’t have to pay for means the world. The kids are our future. Anything we can do to close an opportunity gap, we are all for it.”

In addition, store workers also had 15 percent coupons available for all the children to help them buy just a little bit more.

Williams noted that this was the first time the store has been able to do the giving spree.

The store partnered with The B Squad Project in August for a back-to-school shopping spree where 53 local school children each received $150 shopping sprees for school clothes.

Like it did in August, J.C. Penney closed down its Corbin store at 6 p.m. so the children could have the store to themselves as the shopped with a variety of local volunteers and J.C. Penney sales associates, who volunteered their time.

The B Squad Project worked with family resource centers at local schools to get list of children for the event.

Williams noted that his entire leadership team volunteered its time Sunday, some of whom came in on their day off just to help out.

“Some have been here since eight o’clock this morning and they are staying until the event is over. Giving back is really important to them too,” Williams said. “Being able to help others is really important to me and always has been.”

Williams added it means a lot to him that his team, The B Squad members, and other volunteers did this on top of their regular jobs, and are doing it selflessly to help others.

“I am honored to work for a company that cares as much as this company does about giving back,” Williams said.