Help a child cover their feet.
According a release, it’s time for local non-profit House of Mercy’s (HOM) eighth annual “Shoes for Kids” project.
The program provides client children between 4 and 17 years old – which adds up to around 1,200 children – with a new pair of shoes of their choosing.
“This will lessen the stigma of poverty and help ease ‘new school year’ anxiety for the children who will receive shoes,” stated a release.
The majority of students in United States public schools are now considered to be low-income, according to statistics from the Southern Education Foundation.
“Data collected from the states by the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) shows that 51 percent of the students across the nation’s public schools were low income in 2013. A map they provided indicates that 39% of the students in Virginia live in poverty,” stated a release.
Ill-fitting or broken shoes is a large problem for children in poverty, and they are often listed in the top items to donate to students in need.
“Client parents at HOM want to give their children the new clothes and shoes they need but they cannot afford to do this. In addition, while several social service agencies in this community conduct backpack projects to provide school supplies, not one group except HOM provides shoes on a large scale to underserved children at the beginning of school,” stated a release.
Interested individuals are encouraged to donate shoes of at least a $25 value at the House of Mercy Donation Center at 8170 Flannery Court in Manassas. The center is open from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., Mondays through Saturdays.
“Our School Shoes program is so important. Most people don’t stop to think about school shoes. Shoes that don’t fit correctly can cause a child to walk poorly, with a limp or some other compensation. This limping can be a source of heckling or nicknames in school. Also, children as young as seven years old know which shoes are acceptable by fashion standards. Shoes that aren’t trendy are also a cause for ridicule. This can leave to bullying and kids playing hooky to avoid the heckling,” stated HOME Director Ann Cimini in a release.
When shoes are distributed, the children will be asked about their favorite colors and types, and then will be allowed to select one of two displayed provided to them as a choice.
