Pay Away Brings Marathon of Giving to Los Angeles
On July 25th, Pay Away brought its Marathon of Giving to the Salvation Army Red Shield Community Center in Downtown Los Angeles, helping more than 2,500 students and families prepare for the upcoming school year.
With the support of Chase, Visa, Target, and more than 100 volunteers, Pay Away distributed back-to-school essentials while community partners created a day filled with resources, creativity, and connection. Families were provided free haircuts, health and wellness resources, financial literacy, creative arts, spoken word, and music education.
The Marathon of Giving reached children and families through more than 10 community organizations, including Boys & Girls Club, Brotherhood Crusade, Children’s Action Network, The Salvation Army, LAUSD, Children of the Caribbean, Project Blue, Made New Foundation, Todd Gurley’s M.A.D.E. Sports Foundation, 2nd Call, and Get Lit.
The day was about more than preparing for a new school year. It was about creating an experience where children and families could feel supported and connected to their community.
Pay Away is grateful to the partners, volunteers, organizations, and supporters who helped make the 2026 Marathon of Giving possible and who continue to show up for all children and families in their communities.
Watch the video here: https://youtu.be/Bu9v2gsUVEg
What is Layaway?
Layaway began during The Great Depression in the 1930s when many families did not have enough money to pay for gifts. Retailers, aware of the cash crunch, decided to let customers make cash payments in installments. The store would hold the items until all payments were made, at which time customers could take home their items. Millions of families used layaway every holiday until the 1980s and 90s when credit cards became more commonly used. Credit cards made it possible for families to take their purchases immediately and still pay for them over time.
The early 2000s recession brought layaway programs back when credit became less available for some families. Sears brought back their layaway program in 2008 and Toys ‘R’ Us started offering layaway on expensive items in 2009. Walmart temporarily jumped on board in 2011 with its renewed Holiday Layaway program in select stores. Other retailers like Best Buy, Burlington Stores, Kmart, Marshalls, Sears, T.J. Maxx, and Toys ‘R’ Us joined too.
Today, many families still use layaway programs during the holiday season.
Today's layaway programs are not always free to use. Many retailers require a 10 to 20% down payment on purchases and service fees (usually between $5 and $15) to cover the cost of storing items and processing multiple payments. If a family can't make the payments by the due date, a retailer may charge a cancellation fee, sometimes up to $100, and a restocking fee. The payment schedule is usually strict, and the deadlines to pay off a layaway are non-negotiable. For holiday layaways, the deadline date is typically the week before Christmas.
Pay Away the Layaway's mission is to inspire hope and spread kindness to families who need joy in their holidays. With the support of our generous donors and partners, Pay Away visits retailers around the country to surprise families and pay off their layaway balances. We have paid off layaways in all 50 states and on military bases overseas. We partner with retailers like Burlington Stores, the Army & Air Force Exchange, and Navy Exchange.
We hope you will join us to inspire hope and spread kindness to families this holiday season.
