This April, through the generosity of an anonymous donor and LAPD’s Community Safety Partnership Project, officers from the Newton Area helped over 450 first, second, and third graders get new shoes. Over 225 kids at 49th Street Elementary and over 235 kids at Main Street Elementary got to pick out new sneakers. LAPD officers were there to assist in measuring kids’ feet, offered them two styles of shoes, and after the kid picked their favorite, helped them try them on. Kids got the chance to play games and run races organized by the officers, get police badge stickers, and have a friendly chat with the officers who are also moms and dads, aunts and uncles. It was a wonderful, unifying opportunity for the officers to serve the community and for the kids to have a positive encounter with the police force.
LAPD Officer and Shoes That Fit Board member, Heidi Stoecklein shared: “We are so excited to help the kids choose their shoes. It’s so great to see kids not only get the shoes they need to play, but also get to express their style at the same time! You can tell it just lifts up their day.”
Each delivery began with LAPD bringing a special Operation Shoes That Fit trailer, full of (you guessed it!) shoes.
At the end of the deliveries, the team of officers loaded up the trailer again, and the shoes will go out again soon to kids at Budlong, Weigand, Hooper, and Hoover Avenue Elementary Schools in Los Angeles. Over 1,000 LA kids will be given new shoes this spring.
Thank you to all the officers and volunteers who made this possible!
