This Arkansas Mom Just Bought Out A Whole Payless Shoesource To Help Kids And Parents In Need

In May 2019, Carrie Jernigan, a mom of three from Arkansas, took her kids to the mall to buy shoes. They hit up Payless Shoesource, which has filed for bankruptcy and was having a going-out-of-business sale.

When her oldest daughter saw a pair of Avengers sneakers, she told Jernigan that a boy in her class loved The Avengers, and she knew that his current pair of shoes were too small. The daughter wanted to buy him the shoes, but they weren't sure what size he would need.

Still, that moment sparked an idea in Jernigan.

"As I was checking out, I just said, 'How much for the rest of the shoes in the store?' almost joking," Jernigan said, according to ABC News . "And I could see the clerkher face, her wheels start to turnand she finished checking me out. She said, 'Can I have your number?'"

Later that day, Jernigan received a call from the Payless district manager. Since the store was already in liquidation due to the bankruptcy, she was able to buy the whole store.

Though it's unclear how much she ended up paying, she came away from the experience with 1,500 pairs of shoes. They ranged in size from infant to a mens 13, she told NBC News .

Now, what are they going to do with 'em all? Well, the family said they plan to throw a "back to school" party, so every child will have a new pair of shoes for the new school year.

"In the grand scheme of things in this country, this is a tiny blip," Jernigan said. "But if it continues to grow and... it makes you do one little thing for that student fixing to go back to school, then it matters to that one kid."