Anonymous shoppers paying off layaway accounts at area store - WQOW TV: Eau Claire, WI NEWS18 News, Weather, and Sports

Eau Claire (WQOW) - While many of us are busy rounding out our shopping lists, some are worrying about how they will afford gifts this year. 

At one local store, shoppers who've put things on layaway are returning to find those items have already been paid for!

They're being called "Kmart Angels," people who have quietly paid for hundreds of dollars worth of Christmas presents for complete strangers. So far this holiday season over a dozen layaway accounts have been paid off anonymously. The store manager says the angels usually ask to cover accounts that have children's items on hold.

"We've had many people who have come to pick up their layaway and they're in tears, because these kids wouldn't have had a Christmas without that due to the economy, they lost their jobs, they weren't able to afford the toys for their kids," said Harvey Reckard, Kmart Store Manager.

The spirit of giving has become contagious at the Eau Claire store. Some of the people who've had their gifts anonymously paid off have turned around and put money toward someone else's layaway account.