The Salvation Army donated school supplies Saturday to 43 needy
kids, by providing $100 gift certificates from Super Wal-Mart in
Gilroy. The donations were made possible through Wal-Mart, the
Gilroy Exchange club and private donors.
The Salvation Army donated school supplies Saturday to 43 needy kids, by providing $100 gift certificates from Super Wal-Mart in Gilroy.
The donations were made possible through Wal-Mart, the Gilroy Exchange club and private donors.
“This year we did something completely different,” said Robert Viquez, captain of the Salvation Army for Gilroy, San Martin and Morgan Hill. “We went into the homes of applicants to see how they lived. We wanted to make sure we were providing for the really needy kids.”
In the fifth year of the program, the Salvation Army contacted local church Familias Para Cristo and the Lilly Gardens apartment complex to verify with the minister and office secretary who the most needy families were.
The previous year, they spoke with local schools to verify which kids had the highest need. According to Viquez, they wanted to provide for the children before school started.
There were able to donate 150 backpacks to needy children as well.
“I am really thankful for the community, the friends of Salvation Army, Wal-Mart, and the Gilroy Exchange club for helping us make this come true,” Viquez said.
The Salvation Army hopes to have another children donation event the first week of September depending on the donations received.
