Putting shoes on kids

A jumble of restless children and anxious parents lined the sidewalk and spilled into the parking lot. It was 8:00 on a Tuesday morning and the families were excited. The anticipation of getting a new pair of school shoes was making waiting especially difficult for the kids. Being well-behaved was a lot to ask of them as they eagerly awaited the opening of the doors to the Mission Community Outreach Center.

Image source: aartlife

The summer of 2011 Mermaids of the Lake, an online magazine and community group, hired event coordinator Genia Seghetti to create an event that would help them to give back to the Spokane community they love.

As Shelley Hepler and Debbie Nania, the publishers of Mermaids of the Lake, contemplated the needs of their community and the local nonprofits that might benefit from their efforts, a memory came to Genia. She shared that once while driving through a local neighborhood, she observed a man and his daughter walking hand-in-hand through drifted snow. Even though the young girl wore a jacket, on her feet were a pair of flip flops. Her little toes were almost blue!

Unfortunately, this child’s situation was not unique. At the time, the US Census Bureau's American Community Survey estimated there were 105,337 children living in Spokane County in 2010. Of those, 18,242 were living under the poverty line. That's 17.3%, more than 1 in every 6 children.

image source: babycenter.com

With the facts that supported a real need in the community, it made sense to the Mermaids to sponsor and support a community-wide effort to put new shoes on impoverished kids for the upcoming school. Thus, “Shoes for Kids” was born.

Genia presented the idea of an event to raise funds and celebrate the shoe collection effort. The event, If the Shoe Fits...Wear It!, a shoe fashion show and musical, was a perfect fit for the two mermaids. A test marketing group was created on Facebook to stir up a bit of interest and excitement among local shoe lovers.Within days over 800 members were enthusiastically sharing the idea. They sent pictures of their favorite shoes, told of their own experiences as poor children, and spread the good news. The Facebook page updated followers with information about donation locations and the shoe drive progress. Businesses called to collect shoes for the effort, as well as giving donations of cash and pairs of shoes. Soon a sense of purpose was formed as women, men, and children pulled together as a community to do something that hadn’t been done before.

If the Shoe Fits...Wear It is a "shoetacular" event!

Local Spokane media quickly spread the word. Magazines featured the shoe-drive, as well as the gala event. Television stations broadcast live coverage of donation sites. Business newsletters helped get the message out. And, twice the ladies behind the effort were guests on talk-radio.

“The greater Spokane area has some amazingly generous people who donate their time and resources to clothe, feed and house the underprivileged and neglected children in our community." said Genia in a press release. "Kids are given coats, school supplies, medical treatments and more. However, all too often children are attending school in dilapidated shoes or flip-flops. Not only are they unprepared for sports, cold weather, and general comfort, many feel embarrassed and shameful about their appearance. The Mermaids of the Lake have stepped forward to help these children in a way that will be impactful for them, perhaps for a lifetime.”

The Mermaids purchased several hundred pairs of shoes with the money from donations. "Shoe shopping has never been more meaningful." said Debbie. "We are having fun finding just the right shoes for boys and girls ranging from kindergarten to high school. We're keeping in mind what styles are popular as we look for shoes that are practical and well-made. It takes shoe shopping to whole new level!"

The Mermaids pick out great shoes for kids

The Mermaids of the Lake chose four local community centers that were in the heart of the most disadvantaged neighborhoods in Spokane to be the recipients of the donated shoes. Each of the centers distributed shoes to the kids in their area that needed them most for the upcoming school year.

One of the distribution locations was the Mission Community Outreach Center. Shelley, Debbie, and Genia helped the Mission volunteers with sorting and organizing hundreds of pairs of shoes into sizes and gender. It was a huge job. Yet, nobody complained. Everyone involved was awed by the generosity of the community as the mountain of shoe boxes demonstrated.The three women joined the community center for its one-day shoe distribution. It was heartwarming to see the community’s efforts come to fruition.

Watch "Shoes for Kids" unfold in this video 

The center's Executive Director Mark Kinney thanked the Mermaid helpers by saying, "Thanks for helping us put smiles on the faces of young children who may never before have had a new pair of shoes!"

Ultimately, the shoe drive put about 700 pairs of shoes on kids in some of the most disadvantaged neighborhoods in Washington State. "We're so humbled by the generosity and enthusiasm of the individuals and businesses that joined us in this worthy cause" Shelley shared, "We calculated shoes were put on 24 classrooms of children. That's a huge contribution to the safety and well-being of kids in our community."

Photo by Mark Anthony Photography

Contemplating the event, Genia said, “Seldom has a community effort brought such a joy of accomplishment for so many people. Who would have guessed that such humble beginnings, a desire to give back to the community, would be so impactful in the lives of so many?” 

The Mermaids agree. They loved trading their fins for shoes and making a difference in their community!