PANAMA CITY — Gail Williams walked slowly while a Kmart employee wheeled a large cart, stacked with items taller than herself. She seemed cautious, as if the Power Wheels Jeep, foot-tall pink couch and Doc McStuffins toy would be returned to the layaway section of the store from where they came.
Williams’ original plan for the Christmas season was to return half the items. She recently lost her job as the manager of an Express Lane Pizza Hut because of a back injury.
Williams had her 2-year-old adopted daughter Anna Grace in tow Friday morning at Kmart. Williams adopted Anna Grace on May 6 because the young girl’s mom is in prison. Times are tight, even though many of the items on that cart are intended for Anna Grace.
Her Christmas took a turn when she received a call that morning informing her that all the items had been paid for, nearly $1,200 worth.
“All I could do was cry,” Williams said.
This was one of the reactions former Florida Speaker of the House Allan Bense hoped for when he teamed up with The News Herald to bring his desire to give back to the community to life. Bense, who donated half of the $10,000 collected, was joined at Kmart Friday by fellow contributor Carey Scott, owner of Smitty’s, who gave $2,500, and Bense’s son Jason, who gave $1,500. The final $1,000 came from tax consultant Floyd Skinner, and together the money combined to pay off layaway items for 50 families who weren’t expecting that kind of help.
--- Bense issued this challenge: If anyone who had a good year will match his initial $5,000 donation by end of business Tuesday, he will give another $1,000. His son Jason said he would do the same. Email mmcazalas@pcnh.com or call 850-747-5094 to take up that challenge.---
“God gave me a second chance, so I’m helping people. It’s the right thing to do,” said Bense, who was afflicted by the rare nerve condition Guillain-Barre syndrome in 2013. “These are working people, stepping up to the plate to raise their children and grandchildren.”
In particular, Bense was thinking of Angela Holland, who adopted two of her four grandchildren. She hugged Bense and Scott after finding out about their financial commitment. Holland is on disability and her husband works at Bay Correctional Institute. She was also thinking about moving some of her items off layaway, which included scooters, Ninja Turtles toys and clothes, because she wasn’t going to be able to afford them.
“Thank you God, bless (Bense) for helping people like us,” Holland said.
Miesha Dyson, already taking care of her baby son Deshawn Dyson, was planning to adopt the baby of her uncle. She was planning to cancel her layaway purchase, although she had already paid $30 of the $165 on the order. She works at a nursing home but lost her second job because she was late from working at the nursing home.
“The biggest thing we tried to do is look for family type stuff,” Kmart store manager Jerry Hiers said. “More than half of these people were saying they were going to have to wait until after Christmas or not at all.”
The contributors could not cover all of the items on layaway at Kmart. Bense issued a challenge: If anyone is willing to raise an additional $5,000 by close of business Tuesday, he and Jason Bense would both commit an additional $1,000 each.
“It’s important for us who are blessed to give back,” Scott said. “When you’re defined by what you’ve done and haven’t done, you don’t want to be defined by what you haven’t done.”
The effect of paying for those layaway items goes beyond a bundle of toys. Kimberly Townsend picked up $200 worth of items on Friday, mostly Doc McStuffins toys for her daughters Kennedy, 12, and Kassidy, 6. She was planning to pay off the items Friday but now that she can keep that money she might make a down payment on an apartment.
Williams is looking to pay Bense and Scott’s contribution forward.
“I’m going to try to help somebody else,” she said.
--- Bense issued this challenge: If anyone who had a good year will match his initial $5,000 donation by end of business Tuesday, he will give another $1,000. His son Jason said he would do the same. Email mmcazalas@pcnh.com or call 850-747-5094 to take up that challenge.---