A group of local businesses teamed up to help make Easter special for some children in the community.

Several businesses located in the Elk Crossing Shopping Center worked together to make Easter baskets for foster children in Carter County and children from families in need in the community.

On Thursday, the merchants gathered to deliver Easter baskets to Cap the Gap for Foster Care, a non-profit charitable organization that provides support to foster children and foster parents for items that are not covered by state agencies.

“It seems like a little thing, but to a kid, it is something huge,” said Joni Cannon, President of Cap the Gap for Foster Care for Carter, Johnson, and Unicoi Counties.

While the state provides some support to families caring for foster children, some of those families struggle to provide the extra things for the children, things such as Easter baskets.

Nancy Berry, a manager at Shoe Sensation located at Elk Crossing, heard about the needs of some of the foster care families as well as needs of families served through the TLC Community Center and decided to try to do something to help. Berry worked with other merchants in the shopping center to purchase and collect items for the baskets.

“Nancy has been an amazing partner, as have all the merchants,” Cannon said. “She is a perfect example of how much of a difference one person can make.”

Berry said she recently heard about some a pair of local families that unexpectedly ended up providing foster care for their grandchildren and she wanted to do something to help make Easter special for those families. She worked with Cap the Gap and the TLC Community Center to identify some children to help. Then Berry began collaborating with other merchants in Elk Crossing to put together the Easter Baskets.

“I want to make the community aware there is so much need, not just at Easter or Christmas, but all year round,” Berry said.

On Thursday, the merchants delivered 15 Easter Baskets to Cannon for the children served by Cap the Gap. On Friday, the group presented TLC Community Center Director Angie Odom with 16 Easter Baskets and two family food baskets for families served by the Center.

“It’s a huge help for the families and an unexpected surprise, which I think makes it especially nice,” Odom said, adding it was so nice for the merchants to include a meal basket. “People often think of helping to provide a meal at Thanksgiving or Christmas, but no one really thinks about an Easter meal for the families.”

Shoe Sensation Store Manager Sharon Clark said she was pleased with the response the collection drive — which they named Baskets of Blessings — received from the other merchants as well as customers who contributed to the project.

“We try to give back to the community,” Clark said. “That is the philosophy of our company.”

Along with Shoe Sensation, the other Elk Crossing merchants who participated in the event were Aaron’s, World Finance, Factory Connection, Badcock Home Furniture & More, Service Loans, Auto Zone, GO Grocery Outlet, and Chik-Fil-A.

For more information on the Cap the Gap for Foster Care program or to find out how you can help out, contact Joni Cannon at 423-767-6355 or by e-mail at jonicannon@hotmail.com.

For more information on the TLC Community Center programs or to find out how you can help out, contact Angie Odom at 423-895-8601 or through the TLC Community Center Facebook Page.