San Diego First United Methodist Church (FUMC) encouraged its members to support the “Shoes that Fit” program for local school kids on Sunday, Aug. 28.
According to the church’s Facebook page, it partners with the San Diego School of Christian Studies. They added that they have a new, exciting program for adults longing for learning.
Shoes that Fit Change Drive
The FUMC eNews website posted that the church aims to give new shoes to learners in need at various elementary schools in San Diego. They reported that volunteers gave out shoes to Adams, Burbank, Central, and Cherokee Point.
The church members also delivered shoes to Porter, Rosa Parks, and Rowan last fall and spring, as noted in the announcement.
The same website emphasized that the “Shoes that Fit” Change Drive had given shoes to 3,000 vulnerable students. The drive has helped in transforming their lives, the church mentioned.
Moreover, San Diego FUMC informed members to prepare their bills or checks to the drive table on the patio between their services on Aug.21 and Aug. 28 from 10 a.m. to 11 a.m.
The church said, “New shoes provide dignity, hope, pride, and self-esteem.”
Why Shoes
The Shoes that Fit homepage emphasized that when people give shoes to a kid, they can provide more than hope, joy, and dignity.
As further revealed in their section, one in three kids in the country belongs to a low-salary family. They added that shoes are one of the most prominent indicators of poverty.
The organization explained that a simple presentation of new shoes could give new hope. They emphasized that they do not distribute used shoes to children. Every child could have brand new shoes, particularly with their own measurement, as posted on the website.
The Shoes that Fits drive believed that children should have an extraordinary childhood. They added that they should have freedom. Yet, some children are being bullied because of not having decent shoes, as further stated on the website.
Some schools reported that they had a higher attendance rate of students when they received new athletic shoes. Besides, the website said that 70% of the schools noted that the physical activities of children increased.
Hope is Alive
Amy Fass, the chief-executive-officer and executive director of the organization said that the year 2020-2021 taught them that hope is alive. She added in the Annual Report section that their volunteers and supporters' generosity and dedication made them share the hope the vulnerable families.
Moreover, Fass emphasized that the shoes they provided have made a lot of children happy. She added that these kids do not have a lot of reasons to smile. Through shoe giving, some kids were able to attend sports activities, as further mentioned on the webpage.
In addition, Fass stated that children were able to walk with confidence without carrying their families’ load of not being able to buy a pair of shoes.
She also reported that through this initiative, the children had the assurance that their community would take care of them.
Fass thanked everyone who became a part of their efforts in the 2020-2020 school year.
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