Christmas Angels bless shoppers
John F. Brothers/HeraldStandard.com
Crystal Metts and Daniel Kartfelt of Hopwood express their
surprise and appreciation after the balance on their Christmas
layaway was paid for by a donation made by Joe Hardy.
John F. Brothers/HeraldStandard.com
Christine Brewer of Waynesburg looks over her layaway receipts with a smile after the balance was paid for by a donation by Joe Hardy.
John F. Brothers/HeraldStandard.com
Kmart store director Randy Klepsky (left) and layaway associate
Amy Burnsworth (center) surprise Crystal Metts (right) of Hopwood,
when they tell her the balance on her Christmas layaway is being
paid by a donation from Joe Hardy, the founder and owner of 84
Lumber Co. and Nemacolin Woodlands Resort & Spa.
Daniel Kartfelt and Crystal Metts waited in line at Kmart’s layaway counter to pay for their children’s toys when they were blessed by a Christmas Angel on Friday.
Among other toys in their shopping cart, there was a walker for their toddlers, two large pillows with images from the animated movie “Cars” and a stationary bicycle geared toward a tot wanting to ride while watching cartoons.
As this Hopwood couple were about to pay the $333 balance of their layaway bill, they learned that someone had already paid the bill in full. In the past 10 days, scores of Kmart customers across the country have had their layaway bills wiped clean by the charity of strangers known to many as Christmas Angels.
“It has been a crazy Christmas, so it is nice to have someone do this,” Daniel Kartfelt said. “I’ve never had anything like this happen to me before. I heard about it on the news, but I didn’t think it would happen to me. Things have been real tight, so this will help out a lot.”
Half an hour earlier, Uniontown’s Christmas Angel Joe Hardy walked into Kmart with a $2,500 check intended to pay off layaway balances on toys and children’s clothes. Hardy owns 84 Lumber among other business ventures.
As quick as St. Nick, Hardy disappeared moments after leaving Christmas cheer that will echo throughout the year.
“When the customers find out their bills have been paid, they are very happy, very excited,” said Randy Klepsky, Kmart store director.
Klepsky said customers’ layaway balances ranged from $48 to several hundred. Within about 30 minutes, that $2,500 had nearly melted away like snow on a sunny day. Klepsky said more than 15 customers had been blessed by this Christmas Angel.
“This will definitely help out, especially when you are struggling with three kids,” said Christine Brewer, a hardworking single mother from Waynesburg.
Brewer could barely contain her glee because she had expected to make a $290 payment toward gifts she had purchased. She had a cart brimming full of toys that included a workbench with tools for her sons and a kitchen set for her daughter.
Brewer was among the last people to benefit from Hardy’s generosity.
“We are truly blessed,” Brewer said. “This will be one of the best Christmases we have ever had. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. I really appreciate this. It helped out a lot.”