Shoes For Kids YQL continues to help hundreds of children and youth step into the school year with brand-new shoes, thanks to strong community support and the partnership of local and surrounding area law enforcement agencies.
According to organizers, the goal is to collect 300 pairs of new shoes and raise $20,000 to support children and youth in Kindergarten to Grade 12, by providing them with new footwear just in time for the new school year. Shoe sizes needed range from toddler size nine to men’s and women’s size 12.
“It was five years ago, when we recognized the massive gap in our community where we were seeing kids from Kindergarten to Grade 12 without the basic necessity of shoes. This truly broke our hearts. These kids would not attend school, as a result of not being able to walk to school without having brand-new shoes,” says Mallory Kristjanson, president of the Shoes For Kids YQL Foundation.
Something we take for granted every single day is something these kids may dream of having, adds Kristjanson.
The initiative has helped thousands of children throughout southwestern Alberta from Crowsnest Pass to Bow Island.
“We were able to help over 85 kids this year participate in extracurricular activities alone. This means, students who might not have been able to play volleyball, soccer, basketball or badminton, were able to participate,” Kristjanson notes. “We’ve already helped nearly 1,000 students this year alone. We expect that number to increase dramatically again next year.”
The Holy Spirit School Division was also the first school district to get on board to help raise the money and collect brand-new shoes. “This is a massive collaboration.”
From September to June, “we’ve served over 1,000 kids with brand-new shoes.”
From September to October this year, Kristjanson adds, we were well over 600 kids, which was triple any other
year. “A lot of our schools now know we run all year round, so the referral process is simple. You go to your family school liaison counsellor and we
want to protect the confidentiality of any and all students in-need and their parents reach out and they contact our team and get brand-new shoes and we discreetly drop them off at the school.”
Kristjanson believes the reason the numbers are getting so big is because people are actually utilizing the service. “I think there’s such a stigma. Whether you’re a single parent, kinship provider or maybe mom and dad just don’t have the means to grab shoes. Now, they understand this organization doesn’t need to know who we are or why we need shoes. We maintain that confidentiality and dignity. I think families are understanding that and are reaching out. We prefer a family put groceries in their fridge and uses us to have brand-new shoes for their kids.”
Shoes For Kids YQL has partnered with the Lethbridge Police Service.
(Photo by Stan Ashbee)Community members unable to attend the event in August but wish to donate, can drop off new shoes at Freddie’s Paint in Lethbridge and the Lethbridge Police Service’s front desk. Donations can also be dropped off at the Blood Tribe Police Service front counter.
Financial donations can also be made at any RBC branch under the account name Shoes for Kids YQL. The organization is now a registered non-profit and can provide tax receipts for all qualifying donations.
Don’t miss the Fifth Annual Shoe Drive Aug. 16 from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. at Murray Chevrolet Lethbridge.
