Senior citizens and the disabled were treated to a day of
discount shopping with all the trimmings
– juice, pastries, music and gift wrapping.
Tuesday’s events were all part of the annual senior discount day
Target offers with volunteers from Southside School’s eighth-grade
class. Target gives seniors and disabled people a 10-percent
discount between 8 and 10 a.m. while the students greet people,
help them find things and gift wrap Christmas gifts.
Senior citizens and the disabled were treated to a day of discount shopping with all the trimmings – juice, pastries, music and gift wrapping.
Tuesday’s events were all part of the annual senior discount day Target offers with volunteers from Southside School’s eighth-grade class. Target gives seniors and disabled people a 10-percent discount between 8 and 10 a.m. while the students greet people, help them find things and gift wrap Christmas gifts.
“Every year, I look forward to this and visiting with people and getting the wrapping done – it’s great,” said shopper Audrey Gomes, in her 70s. She has Christmas shopped for her family during the event for the past five or six years.
Most seniors and disabled taking advantage of the discount day are Christmas shopping so they can get items gift-wrapped for free.
Student Martin Gonzales noticed many shoppers buying GameBoy and Playstation games. Other popular items are toys for younger grandchildren and electronics for older grandchildren, said Frances Ostenson, organizer of the event with Target.
“This gives (the shoppers) a little edge. It makes it a little easier during holiday time – especially when there’s no one else to help them,” Ostenson said.
Barbara Gentry is able to do almost half of her Christmas shopping on the discount day, depending on how much time she has. Gentry has 35 family members to buy Christmas gifts for, she said. She usually purchases home appliances for her married grandchildren.
“I shop here a lot anyway – I take advantage of the discount (by shopping today),” Gentry said. “It’s great that (the students) do this. It’s a help for us and it gives them a service project – it’s just one day out of the year.”
Seventeen of Southside’s 18 eighth graders spread out over the store armed with name tags and Santa hats. Some greeted shoppers and gave them a shopping cart. Others walked around the store in case someone needed help while other students gift-wrapped items with paper and boxes donated by Target.
Eighth-grade teacher Shannon Silva said she hopes the event instills a sense of volunteerism in the students.
“It’s great for (the students) to help someone else without getting something in return,” Silva said. “They see how great it feels so they’ll (hopefully) do it again.”
Target has organized the event for nine years and students from Southside have participated for four. Because Southside has volunteered in the past, students were expecting to participate in the event.
“I’m excited. It’s a school tradition. It’s our turn,” said Brittney Goytia as she greeted shoppers. “It’s nice for us to do something nice for them. It’s our way of giving back to the community – they’ve given to us in the past, they deserve it.”
Having students present also helps shoppers pick out Christmas presents for grandchildren and great-grandchildren. Gonzales said he’s been asked what his size of clothing is and what toys he’d like to get for Christmas.
“We can help them find stuff they want to find. They might not know what to get (their family members),” he said.
Target set up a table offering orange and apple juice and an assortment of pastries. A Target team member dressed up as Santa and handed out candy canes to shoppers. Entertainment was provided by Rancho San Justo Middle School’s choir and the Presbyterian Church bell ringers – both performing Christmas selections.
