Many children ask us if they can keep the shoes. And of course we say “yes!” So many kids are amazed that they don’t just get to borrow the shoes, but keep them “forever!”
Here are a few stories from school staff about kids who just couldn’t believe they could keep both the shoes:
“I had a 10 year old girl who had quite a bit of transition in her life and each time she moved, she had to give back the clothes and shoes. So, when she got a new pair from Shoes that Fit, she said, “they're mine, I can keep them?” It was a very emotional moment.”
“A 4th grader lit up when he came to get his shoes. He kept asking if he could really keep them. He has been wearing them everyday to school. He told us that they help him run faster and score more goals while playing soccer.”
“I love all of their smiling faces when I give them brand new shoes that fit. They almost always ask in disbelief if they get to keep them. It is a wonderful feeling to tell them yes!”
“These are mine to keep? Really?”
“One little girl asked if she could keep them. Her eyes lit up when I said ‘Yes!’”
“A little boy cried when he found out he got to keep the shoes ‘forever.’”
“We had a little girl with the soles of her shoes detached. When we gave her a pair of light up shoes her face lit up and she couldn't stop smiling. She kept asking us if it was really okay for her to keep them. When we guaranteed her that they were her shoes, she couldn't hide her excitement.”
“One student thought we were giving her a pair of shoes to borrow. When we told her that the shoes were hers to keep, she screamed with joy, jumping up and down. The shoes she had been wearing were a size too small and were giving her blisters.”
“He just kept saying that he could not believe that he was getting brand new shoes. He put them on after saying how much he loved them and then asked if he could keep them and take them both home. He said that he had never had new shoes before. He repeatedly thanked us and then ran down the hall looking at his feet as he went back to class. His teacher said that he was so proud when he came back into the classroom.”
“My favorite memory is their joy at the realization that they get to keep the shoes. That they have a brand new pair of shoes that fit them that have no holes or flapping soles. I had one girl cry when we gave her her shoes.”
“We gave a young man a pair of shoes to wear. He asked if he could keep them. We told him of course, they were his. He smiled and said this was the best school and best gift he had ever gotten at school before!”
Thank you for helping children like these get (and keep) new shoes!
