Volunteers help children pick out clothes during back-to-school shopping event in Elgin

Abril Godinez knew what she wanted during a Thursday trip to the Walmart in Elgin.

The 7-year-old was looking for purple clothes for the start of the school year. Abril had a big smile shopping with Blanca Garcia from Centro de Información in Elgin.

Abril and two dozen other children picked out clothes at the store, thanks to a back-to-school shopping event organized by the Salvation Army Elgin Corps.

“We wanted to do something different,” said Rick Reigner, the resource development director for the Elgin Corps.

While many groups in the community do “great things” with back-to-school backpacks, Reigner said the Elgin Corps wanted to do something else.

“This allows us to be a little more personal and work with 25 kids and really help impact their back-to-school experience,” he said.

On Thursday, each child was paired with a volunteer and given $150 to buy clothes for the upcoming school year.

“So many families fall through the cracks,” Reigner continued. “This is a way for us to identify those who are really in need and help them get what they need to go back to school.”