Some arrive at school with wet feet from rain water that soaked through the holes in their shoes.
Others walk into class wearing shoes that are too small for their feet. These same students, counselors say, often avoid running in P.E. or at recess because their feet hurt.
Thanks to a partnership between the Sunrise Kiwanis Club, Puyallup Salvation Army, local Payless Shoe Source stores, and the Puyallup School District, 75 elementary students in need received new shoes this fall at no cost.
The shoes were delivered, along with several pairs of socks for each child, to Hunt, Ridgecrest, Sunrise, Wildwood, and Woodland elementary schools.
The schools were selected for having students who could bene? t from the new shoes and for being among those located in the Puyallup Salvation Army’s service area, said Kim Koch, director of social services with the Salvation Army Puyallup office.
"I really like the style of mine," one Sunrise Elementary student said with a big smile as her school counselor, Bev Showacy, checked to make sure the shoes ? t correctly. "They are really cute and will go with almost anything I wear."
Woodland Elementary counselor Claudia Knauss said a 9-year-old boy who received a new pair of shoes told her he would take such good care of his shoes "that they would last until he was 13."
Knauss added, "You simply cannot overestimate the joy that having a pair of new shoes brings to a child in need … It’s great to know we can provide school essentials that allow families to have their ? nancial resources freed up to pay for shelter essentials like heat and water."
This is the second time that new shoes have been delivered to Puyallup students. Last spring, 75 pairs of shoes were delivered to children in need, many of whom insisted on wearing them as soon as they opened the box.
"A new pair of shoes makes a child feel like they are walking on air," said Terrie Garrison, principal at Sunrise Elementary School. "It boosts their self-esteem and outlook on life. It’s a real gift, and we feel very fortunate that people in our community are so giving."
The Sunrise Kiwanis Club provided the bulk of the $1,400 needed to purchase the new shoes. The Salvation Army also received individual donations earmarked for the program.
The goal, Koch said, is to be able to continue to provide the shoes twice a year — once in fall, and again in spring. She also plans to select other district schools in need to receive the shoes during the next give-away.
Original Article published by the Puyallup School District Connections Newsletter November 2011.
