In my job, there’s no better way to start the day than with a fun event like the one I was invited to participate in by the Peninsula Metropolitan YMCA. I arrived at the Hampton JC Penney store at 7:15 am on August 19 to greet the Y’s Bright Beginnings crew for a back to school shopping spree with deserving kids.

Together with Bruce Hoogstraten and Debra Flores from the YMCA Board, I was asked to help choose and buy clothes with a six year old named Daniel who is preparing to start first grade this year.

Daniel was adorable and hilarious and we all instantly fell in love with him.  He had a serious shopping attitude and knew what he liked and what he didn’t like and was very, very efficient.  (I wish my own boys were so focused in a store).

As described on their website (http://peninsulaymca.org/programs/volunteer.php), Bright Beginnings sends children from families that need a little extra help “back-to-school shopping for the clothes and supplies they need to begin the school year with confidence and pride.” They say the program has grown by 1500% in the past five years in response to steadily increasing need.

Daniel’s school is one where students are required to wear a uniform, so we targeted our shopping efforts on the basics – polo shirts in the prescribed colors, khaki pants and shorts, and socks and tennis shoes that had to be a solid color.

The solid color tennis shoes were the worst part. They had all sorts of really cool, brightly colored shoes on sale at Penney’s that caught Daniel’s eye but we bought plain black ones as instructed. He was a trooper about it and didn’t pout or complain.

He was also great when we insisted he try on the pants to make sure they fit.  We were worried they were too long and he said that if they were too long he would “just pin ‘em up”.  I’m telling you he is one practical guy.

The one thing he fell in love with and just had to have was an army green down type vest.  He looked sharp in it, I must say, and we couldn’t say “no”.  Luckily, Daniel is a real bargain hunter and it was only $12.99.  He wanted to wear it out of the store even though it was 85 degrees.

It was a whirlwind trip and we were done by 9.  Daniel gave us each a high five and we said our goodbyes, then ran off to our meetings and obligations of the day – things that couldn’t possibly be as much fun.

We should all feel truly grateful for programs like Bright Beginnings and the generous donors who make it possible. There’s little that strikes me as being more important than helping to keep the impact of our economic difficulties from making it harder for our kids to grow up than it already is.

Here’s to all of Hampton’s schoolchildren having a great year!