The screaming and shouting of children filled the air as Mercedes-Benz USA and Shoes That Fit, a California-based non-profit organization specializing in securing footwear for impoverished youth, hosted the ‘Holiday Love Celebration’ giving program at Michael R. Hollis Innovation Academy on Tuesday, Dec. 5.
Coming together for the second consecutive year, the two organizations collaborated to give over 650 pairs of sneakers to students from pre-K to eighth grade.
Hosted in the center’s gym, the winter wonderland-themed celebration featured a photo booth, holiday cookies, a live DJ, a snow machine, and an appearance by Atlanta Falcon’s mascot Freddie the Falcon.
Lauren Alford, senior manager of strategic partnerships at Mercedes-Benz USA, expressed the company’s commitment to supporting local communities. “We are committed to our local communities,” Alford said. “When we look for a nonprofit that can help us really have the bandwidth across the country, Shoes that Fit is such a great partner because they are able to focus on our local communities.”
Shoes That Fit Senior Manager of Strategic Partnerships Janet Lang spoke to The Atlanta Voice about the struggles that parents at home might be facing in affording shoes for their kids.
“Shoes are one of the most expensive things a parent could purchase,” she said.
According to a 2017 survey done by the U.S. Department of Education on why students don’t attend school, 30% of the given reasons were identified as the lack of clothing and supplies as a challenge faced by youth.
“Shoes rank among the most expensive items our family has to purchase,” Jand reiterated. “When faced with the decision between paying rent, buying food, or covering bills, shoes tend to be prioritized at the bottom of the list.”
Lang further emphasized the impact of providing a pair of shoes transcends mere footwear; it extends to nurturing the entire child holistically. Collaborating closely with teachers, Shoes That Fit acknowledges the multifaceted benefits, enhancing students’ self-esteem, self-confidence, school attendance, and even their physical activity levels.
On the ground handling the event coordination between the companies and school was Shaunya Reeves, site coordinator of Communities in Schools of Atlanta at Hollis Innovation Academy. Reeves explained the extensive process of measuring each student’s feet, gathering sizes, and ensuring preferences were considered.
Contacted in September, Reeves went from class to class to get the exact measurements of each student. The excitement among the children was apparent to Reeves, with daily inquiries about the upcoming event, with the most common question being, “What type of shoes are we getting?”. Students were counting down the days until they could walk away with their new, carefully measured pairs Reeves recalled. “It was really nice to see them get excited about the shoes. I was just downstairs and a whole class put their shoes on the walk to the bathroom.”
Reeves further emphasized the importance of instilling gratitude in the students, stating that appreciating what they have, regardless of preferences is essential. “I feel as if you look better, you do better,” she said. “For some of our students, these shoes really are going to help them succeed when they’re in class because they’re not worried about what they don’t have.”
