His summer's not over, but 9-year-old Joshuan is excited to stock up for fourth grade.
"I actually gotta look for the pencils, papers, notebooks and folders," he said.
Joshuan and his big brother Tayon are staying at the Salvation Army's homeless shelter right now. They don't have anywhere else to call home.
The shopping spree is "a blessing," said rising 8th grader, Tayon.
The brothers and 24 other students, 4 to 16, swept through the school supply aisles in Hialeah with smiles and wide eyes.
"So beautiful," 6-year-old Ta'maya said of a Barbie backpack, touching its pink frills in wonder.
The $81 shopping spree for each kid is courtesy of Target and the Salvation Army. They stretched the money to take home new shoes and uniforms.
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"Gimme one! Gimme one!" Joshuan shouted at Tayon, as he lifted backpacks off a hanger and handed them out.
"They're having a good time," said Capt. Kelly Durant of the Salvation Army. "To be here and to shop is like a party for them."
Franmy,16, is preparing for 11th grade. He wants to earn a degree in chemistry someday, so he's concentrating on math and science this fall.
"What I mostly got is notebooks and paper because I really need them," he said. "I have a lot of notes to do, junior year and stuff, yeah so it's gonna be tough."
To find out how you can support students like Franmy, Tayon, Joshuan, and Ta'maya, go to salvationarmyusa.org.
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