Norfolk, Va.- NewsChannel 3's Kurt Williams went searching for a community member who helped support Norfolk students heading back to school.
Sometimes when you're trying to surprise someone, you need mom's help. That was the case with Maurice Barnes.
He almost missed his surprise, fortunately his mother Tracy Barnes helped us pull this off. "I had just got off work and I was on my way and they said he wasn't here. So I called him and told him somebody wants to buy a car and you need to get here. They don't want to see nobody but you... Lord forgive me for lying!"
It all started with an e-mail from Nita Horton.
"Maurice, I would like to nominate you of Sewells Point Tire and Auto Repair for the People Taking Action Award. You're a very kind person who is always looking out for your community."
For example, the back-to-school celebration recently organized by this Norfolk business. Kids received backpacks loaded with school supplies, there were costumed characters, plenty of food and music and it was all free!
This is why we presented Maurice with a NewsChannel 3 People Taking Action Award, plus a $300 Visa gift card from our community partner, Southern Bank.
Maurice was very grateful.
"My reaction? Great reaction. Without God none of this is possible."
They were able to hand out 278 backpacks to kids from across the community.
"It was a good feeling. It was a good feeling knowing I helped some kids, and that was the best feeling in the world," says Maurice.
Maurice says there was tremendous community support to help provide the school supplies, food, a bounce house for the kids, and a disc jockey. "When the community pulls together we can not only help our families, we can help people outside of our families when we get together. We just filled 278 book bags when the community got together; so if more of us get together, we can go 600 book bags."
Yep, the folks at Sewells Point Tire and Auto Repair are already thinking about next year's back to school bash.
