Santa was nowhere in sight.
But at the J.C. Penney store at Northfield Stapleton on Tuesday, nearly 40 kids had something almost as good as Santa — a $50 gift card.
“A lot of these kids never had $50,” said Terrance Roberts of the Prodigal Son Initiative. “They are great kids, focused on academics.”
Jeans and shirts were among the most popular items the children were buying for themselves. Korena Leon, 13, bought a shirt and three pairs of jeans.
But they were also buying for others.
Claudia Contreras, 10, really likes her mom. The fifth-grader had picked out a sparkling white necklace for her mother.
Most of the kids live in northeast Denver, and all are part of the Prodigal Son Initiative after-school program, Roberts said.
Many live in near the Holly Shopping Center, which burned to the ground in May, allegedly the result of gang violence, he added. Many use the library near where the shopping center stood and save their pennies for the Holly neighborhood candy store.
Each afternoon, the Prodigal Son Initiative brings the kids together where they do their homework — often with the help of tutors. The program brings in special guests, including photojournalists and basketball players. And the kids, who also get a snack, can talk about what is on their minds, including things that might be bothering them.
Roberts says the idea is preventing youth violence and mentoring the kids in positive ways.
The $50 gift certificates were made available to the Prodigal Son children through the efforts of J.C. Penney and United Way. Art Rimando, senior director of Youth Success for Mile High United Way, said that J.C. Penney contributes nearly $94,000 in each of 20 U.S. cities, including Denver, to programs such as the Prodigal Son Initiative that help kids.
For Rimando, Roberts is “a good guy,” “a breed of young leadership” that is stepping forward in cities like Denver. “Terrance does great work,” Rimando said.
That the children like Roberts and listen to him was apparent.
Hanging onto a bag of goodies, Deondre Palmer, 9, said Roberts told him not to be selfish.
“Terrance told us to buy something for our mom or dad,” Deondre said.
His mother should be happy — he spent $47 on his mother’s favorite cologne. But he and his buddy, Brandon Dulin, 11, who had a total of $100 between them, used the other $53 to buy a couple of hoodies and a pair of jeans. Their guardian, James Ramsey, said the two young men had fun.
“It would have been a lot more fun if I had let them buy what they really wanted,” said Ramsey, laughing.
Howard Pankratz: 303-954-1939 or hpankratz@denverpost.com
