D-backs take Homeward Bound kids shopping

PHOENIX — The 30 kids from Homeward Bound had some difficult decisions to make Tuesday night as they roamed the aisles of a local Target.

As part of their Homeward Bound Shopping Spree, the D-backs gave each child $250 to spend at a Phoenix-area Target store.

Homeward Bound is a nonprofit organization in Phoenix that helps families going through homelessness get back on their feet and into a home.

“It gives these kids a little bit of an opportunity to have the power to make decisions,” said Debbie Castaldo, the D-backs’ vice president of corporate and community impact. “They take it very seriously. They are managing their money very carefully. You can see the pride as one of the kids said he had earned it like it was his job and he wanted to spend it carefully.”

Some of the kids did advance scouting for the trip, coming prepared with a shopping list. Each was assisted by a D-backs front-office volunteer, who helped talk the children through their decisions.

“Do they buy for themselves?” Castaldo said. “Do they buy for others? You can see for some of them the weight of that. Part of our volunteer’s job is to tell …

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