Honey Bugs Spend $75 During Back-to-School Shopping Spree

Honey Bugs Spend $75 During Back-to-School Shopping Spree

Target Stores and the Honey Shine Mentoring Program Teamed Up to Teach Young Girls how to Shop Wisely and Prepare for Going Back to School

MIAMI, FL (August 24, 2009) — Eighty “Honey Bugs” from the Honey Shine Mentoring Program, a program of Alonzo Mourning Charities, learned the ins and outs of shopping for deals this Saturday, August 22nd, 2009 as they explored the aisles of Target for back-to-school necessities for the 2009-2010 school year. The selected young girls from the Honey Shine Mentoring Program were chosen based upon their attendance and participation in the program. They learned to shop for deals and manage finances with the help of Target team leaders and Honey Shine mentors at the Target store located at 7795 SW 40th Street (Bird Road) Miami, FL 33155.

The girls began their morning with a light breakfast and a special presentation from the Target team on how to shop smart for savings, including buying in bulk versus purchasing single items as well as how to read the signs that say sale or clearance. To make the activity even more interactive, a “Price is Right”-style game got the girls thinking about costs and the difference between generic and name-brand items found in the Target store. The Honey Bugs were then paired up with a mentor and given a $75 gift card along with a shopping list for their back-to-school necessities.

“Our Honey Bugs look forward to going back to school and we want to make sure the transition is easy, allowing them to solely focus on making the grade,” says Tracy Wilson Mourning, founder of the Honey Shine Mentoring Program. “Our girls have worked hard throughout the year and during the summer at our Camp Honey Shine, so it’s nice to reward them with a shopping experience which also gives us another opportunity to teach them the importance of budgeting properly.”

The Honey Bugs were given a specific shopping list for back-to-school items ranging from clothing to toiletries and spent the day with Target team leaders and Honey Shine mentors shopping for the best prices available for each item. The girls learned to use coupons, look for the price difference between generic and name-brand products, in addition to how to stay within a budget. The most popular purchased items this year for the Honey Bugs were school clothes, undergarments, socks, shoes and toiletries..