“Thank you to whoever donated the pair of shoes for my grandson! You see, he has never had a brand-new pair of shoes.”
Grandparents say thanks.
Every year, we ask the schools we work with all across the country to let us know the impact that new shoes make. They share some amazing stories!
One of the things we’ve noticed in these stories is that some of the kids live with their grandparents. Here are a few stories from school staff about grandmas and grandpas, abuelas and abuelos, grandmothers and grandfathers, who felt blessed by the gift of new shoes.
From a school social worker:
“I have many great Shoes That Fit moments, however, the one that stands out is the grandparents who are currently raising their two granddaughters and two grandsons as well as caring for their ailing daughter. All of the children are going through a growth spurt which means a need for 4 pairs of new shoes! It was a huge relief for the grandfather who has many other financial burdens that are not typical after retirement. Not only is this wonderful man taking care of his grandchildren, he is also the grandpa of the neighborhood. He is always helping out other families whenever needed.”
“I have a student who lives with grandma. Once I measured the student's feet he was so excited! Every day he would ask me if his shoes were here. The day we received the shoes, he was the first one I called in to give him his new shoes. He cried, hugged me, and said ‘please say thank you to whoever sent me these shoes; they are angels!' I also cried. The next morning grandma called me crying and said ‘thank you so much and thank you to whoever donated the pair of shoes for my grandson! You see, he has never had a brand-new pair of shoes. I am taking care of him and am not able to buy him new shoes.' I see this student every day with his new shoes since then. He has even told me ‘I hope they never wear out.' I am so thankful for the opportunity to be a part of this amazing campaign. You are truly angels!”
“My favorite story was about a grandmother who was raising 6 grandkids and 2 nieces. When she received your donation of shoes, she was in shock because it helped not her economically only, she felt that she was being supported through your organization. Grandma was sending her blessing to Shoes That Fit.”
“A little boy's grandmother called to say that we had no idea how much the gift of shoes helped her because she is his sole caretaker and it meant a lot to her. She said that he was smiling from ear to ear when he got off the bus that day.”
The blessing of new shoes is possible because of the generous gifts of people like you. If you’d like to help children step into a bright future in new shoes, please give today!
