MONTGOMERY, Ala. (WSFA) – One Montgomery councilman has partnered with Maddox Transportation, the Montgomery County Sherriff’s Office, and Walmart to provide two local families with a shopping spree for Christmas.

District 6 Councilman Oronde Mitchell’s mother loved the holidays, and after he lost her, the holidays just didn’t feel the same. Now, he tries to bring Montgomery community members joy so he can share in that joy and bring the magic back to the holiday season.

“For the last four years, I’ve been giving away turkeys, and so I remembered this old Chinese Proverb, ‘if you give a person a fish they’ll only eat for a day,’ so we wanted to do something different,” Mitchell said. “We wanted to teach them how to fish so that it can last more than that one or two days that turkey or ham would last.”

Mitchell says this shopping spree teaches families time management and planning, as families had two hours to complete their shopping and they were required to make shipping lists of the things they needed.

With six kids, shopping spree recipient Shakeena Meadows says this lifts a weight off her shoulders.

“It’s been hard for the couple of little months, so the experience for the children to come and pick out the things…” said Meadows.

The kids say this is a Christmas unlike any other.

“I got two Barbie dolls, and I got a purse, and a bike, and a Mickey Mouse, and I’m having fun today,” Meadows’ daughter said.

Mitchell wants every family in Montgomery to know that the City of Montgomery is there for its residents.

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