MADISON HEIGHTS, Mich. (WXYZ) — It is a random act of kindness that is making the days of families around metro-Detroit.
And we feel honored to be part of it. It is the 7 Action News School Supplies Surprise.
On Tuesday we surprised families at the Meijer in Madison Heights with the help of Dick Powell, the Managing Director of Ameriprise Financial’s Powell Consulting Group.
We asked if we could interview them about back to school shopping. Then as we interviewed them we told them they were being given a surprise.
A local business had offered to buy their children’s school supplies.
Then we told them - we are doing what we call the back to school supplies surprise.
Dick Powell from the Powell Consulting Group, with Ameriprise Financial came to witness some of the surprises he sponsored.
“Education is such an important part of everyone’s life. Everyone has it in their plan,” said Powell. “But they need the tools to execute the plan. Here are the tools.”
The children told him they truly are excited about school. Especially their favorite classes.
Faith Lynn who is going into 7th grade says her dad died 4 years ago. After the surprise, as she shopped with her paternal grandmother, they felt he was watching over her.
“He must have. Nothing like this has ever happened. I am so grateful,” said Debbie Donegan, Faith’s grandmother.
He is watching me, making me better at sports, making me a better player,” said Faith.
“We see signs from him,” said Donegan.
The message is there are good people out there.
“We personally have been going through harder times and this helps a lot. It is amazing there are people out there that do things like this,” said Rhiannon Espuet, a mom of two boys.
She says her family is mourning the loss of someone who was murdered. They needed the reminder that many people are good.
“My actual thought was I want to do that,” saId Donovan Espuet, who is going into 8th grade, after meeting Mr. Powell. “Because it makes people happy.”
