Submitted photo Stan Hill is the potentate for the local Prince Hall Shriners chapter that has begun a new effort of taking needy Black youngsters Christmas shopping.
The local Prince Hall Shriners of the Ancient Egyptian Arabic Order of Nobles Mystic Shrine will take 11 Black male youngsters ages 6 to 16 from needy families Christmas shopping today. Also the Women In NAACP local group will take a group of 10 young Black women ages 13 to 17 Christmas shopping today as well.
The effort is a first-time outreach and will become an annual project, according t0 Stan Hill, potentate for the Shriners chapter. He proposed the idea as an added way to help struggling families of color, he said.
The women’s group jumped in to help young Black girls after hearing of Hill’s initiative. An anonymous donor made the girls’ shopping trip possible, said Stephanie Carmer of Women in NAACP.
First Presbyterian is making space available for the girls to wrap their gifts.
The Women’s Giving Circle program of The Heritage Fund — the Community Foundation of Bartholomew County is covering the cost of a post-shopping meal at Taku’s in downtown Columbus for the young women, according to organizers.
The Columbus/Bartholomew County Chapter of the NAACP identified boys from families needing help this time of year.
“We take great pride in this,” said Bishop Johnnie Edwards, local NAACP chapter president. “This is such a great opportunity.”
The girls are not necessarily from needy families, Carmer said.
Members of the Shriners group have donated $250 per youngster for the shopping. That includes $50 for the youngsters to purchase a Christmas gift for a mother or guardian. The Shriners also will take the boys to their lodge after shopping for a Christmas pizza party.
“We just wanted a way for them to have a good Christmas,” Hill said.
The Shriners will take their youngsters to the Walmart on Whitfield Drive in a trip called “Shop With a Noble,” which is the term for Shriners. The Women in NAACP will take their group to Target. The young women will be given $250 gift cards, and and have been encouraged to save money to buy a present for a parent or guardian.
