Just days before Christmas 2007, Symphony Warner was handed an empty shopping cart and told to fill it with whatever she wanted.  Like most teenagers would, she made sure to head for the clothes rack.  But the next thing on her list?

“Deodorant,” says the now 14-year-old who will attend Poly High in a few weeks.  The youngest of seven children in a single-parent home, Warner made sure to stock up on things the whole family could use.

The opportunity—or perhaps more appropriately, blessing—was provided to Warner and more than 50 others by the Long Beach Junior Chamber’s annual Children’s Shopping Spree, which provides families with much needed help leading up to the holiday season—or in this Saturday’s case, the new school year.  More than 75 kids will be handed empty shopping carts tomorrow at 7:00am.

“It helped a lot,” says Warner, “Because we were running low at the time.  And it was at Christmas time too so I get to get presents for my family.”

Warner will not be participating tomorrow morning—she’s pretty busy preparing for a retreat to Lake Tahoe as President of Leaders in Training, a youth program at the Long Beach Boys & Girls Club—but Alonzo Taylor will be ready to go.

The 14-year-old soon-to-be Lakewood High freshman will participate with his two younger brothers, who have been raised by their mother and grandmother over the years.  Alonzo hopes to make Lakewood’s basketball team and won MVP honors at Michael Jordan’s Flight School camp a few weeks ago, but was selected for the shopping spree due to his 3.8 GPA and dedication to playing percussion instruments.

Oh, and he’s a Merit Scholar, looking forward to advanced Algebra and Geometry classes.

The Junior Chamber is s till looking for anyone interested in volunteering or donating towards Saturday’s edition of the Children’s Shopping Spree.  Stories of difficult childhoods in single-parent homes are a dime a dozen in Long Beach, while success stories like Warner and Taylor are more rare.   These are the kids that LBJC looks to help, the ones in Long Bach that all too often go forgotten.  But the shopping spree gives them an opportunity that they otherwise wouldn’t have had.  Warner imagines she wouldn’t have been able to afford school supplies if it weren’t for last year’s spree.

“For a single mom with four kids, it gets expensive,” says Keith Lilly, Long Beach Boys & Girls Club director and personal mentor to Warner, Taylor and so many others.  The former Poly graduate took the position 14 years ago and has just about seen it all.  Just before our interview appointment, Lilly had returned from driving a child home because he was worried about neighborhood gangs.  It’s been his mission to help the area kids develop their talents and pursue their interests.  He’s known Taylor for two years and Warner for eight.  Most of the kids call the imposing man “Shrek.”  Warner calls him Dad.”

“I had both parents in the house,” he says, “And my hat’s off to the parents that do it alone.  It’s a blessing to have both parents in the house.”

But many in his program aren’t so lucky—Warner and Taylor among them.  But they’ve excelled under Lilly’s guidance, and when the Long Beach Junior Chamber came calling in search of worthy participants for the spree, Lilly knew exactly who to choose.  Both kids listen, he says, and strive to do their best.  Neither gives him any trouble.

Well, maybe Warner.

“With her, about the only thing I have to do,” Lilly says with a laugh, “Is keep the boys away.”

Click here for more information about the Children’s Shopping Spree, or here to sponsor a child’s participation.

By Ryan ZumMallen, Managing Editor