Starting a new school year is a time for new beginnings - especially after the last few years! As parents struggle to outfit their youngsters for that special first day and beyond, one of the least affordable and most challenging to “make do” are shoes. Hand-me-down, thrift store, or bargain bin shoes don’t fit, are worn in weird places, are uncomfortable, and are often just plain ugly. Brand new stylish well-fitting shoes are way too expensive for families on tight budgets.
Addressing this dilemma was the brainchild of the Family Function committee and championed by Access Inc, AmeriCorps Volunteer Felicity Sahr.
“Growing up I always looked forward to getting new shoes at the start of the school year. But this is not possible for students whose families are struggling," said Felicity. From the family Family Function Committee, serving neighborhoods in the San Diego Promise Zone, I learned that they were working on a way to get community youngsters outfitted with new shoes but was not sure how to make that happen."
Around the same time, Felicity’s host sponsor LISC announced an Innovation and Equity Grant Proposal writing competition following the national leadership conference. With input from the community, Felicity crafted a proposal that far exceeded the initial $1,000 grant award to provide new shoes to 50 K-12 Promise Zone students. After her winning oral presentation LISC San Diego provided an additional $1,000.This initial funding of $2,000 was just the beginning. Not any shoes will do. Cool styles and versatile sizes are necessary. Fortunately, Armon Harvey with The Harvey Foundation had a contact with the Vans shoe store manager in El Cajon, who agreed to participate in the program.
Thanks to a rapid and generous response from the Southeastern San Diego community, during the August 20th "Family Fun Day Back to School Resource Fair" at the Mountain View Community Center, 107 youth received brand new Vans shoes - exceeding the initial goal by 107%!
Visit Access, Inc. website, HERE.
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