Community Corner
Aurora Group Pays Off Kmart Layaway Accounts
Aurora Rotary Club members choose new phenomenon to make a difference at the holidays.
When employee Rebecca Mendoza called a customer on Thursday morning to tell her that her Christmas layaway purchase had been paid off, the customer was overjoyed.
She responded with delight to the good news from the Douglas Road Kmart, that she could come in to pick up the order.
“Thank you Jesus. Thank you. Thank you. Oh my God, thank you,” the customer responded over the phone.
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Aurora Rotary Club Treasurer Kathy Tollaksen cut a check for $1,960.37 that covered nine layaway accounts. This particular account was covered by the Rotary Club check.
The Rotary Club donation was largely from proceeds from the Philips Park Festival of Lights in Aurora.
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Rotary Club member Judd Lofchie had a friend recently pass who loved children. He saw a story about people paying off these accounts, and wanted to do what he could to help.
“I just thought, what a great idea,” Lofchie said.
He got in touch with the store to find out if it was possible. They had to leave a penny on each of the accounts so they can remain open, and people can come in to pick up their merchandise. They concentrated on accounts that were close to delinquent, and involved children’s toys and clothes.
Under a layaway plan, customers can come in and put items on reserve. They pay 10 percent of the cost of the purchase, and then they pay the rest off over time.
Kmart has had the layaway option for a long time. This is the first year that people have gone in and paid these accounts off for strangers, assistant store manager Jerry Kanyuh said.
“It’s just been super.”
They just had about three people in to pay off strangers’ accounts yesterday, Kanyuh said. They had one circumstance where the payment generated a chain reaction. The customer whose account was paid was not needy, so they reciprocated and paid for another stranger, Kanyuh said.
“That was just really great of her.”
One elderly woman who had heard about customers doing this gave $30 for a donation to someone else’s account, Kanyuh.
Kmart on Douglas Road will be open 24 hours until 10 p.m. on Christmas Eve. The Festival of Lights at Philips Park is open through Monday evening next week.
