THIS SUMMER, the children on Shelbyville’s south side walked, ran, and jumped with happy feet, not because school was out but because every student at Southside Elementary received a new pair of shoes and socks along with other goodies on May 19. The giveaway showcased the heart of our community and its partners, investing in the lives of our youngest residents and our future.
As the students entered the gym grade by grade to be fitted, the atmosphere was electrified, buzzing with laughter, excitement, and anticipation. It is doubtful that anyone present will ever forget the heart and hope delivered in shoes and backpacks filled with socks, books, and a note of encouragement.
Bedford County resident Eileen Vick, events manager of Nashville and site coordinator, was excited to bring the program home and says nothing compares to witnessing firsthand the children’s reactions.
She said, “We had more volunteers show up per capita this event than any shoe events in Nashville. That’s a testimony to how our community supports these kids. When you sit across from them at their height and look into their eyes, you look into their souls, hear their stories, and it touches you. We were able to sit down across from them as they told us what their hopes were and asked, ‘What do you want to be when you grow up?’”
Samaritan’s Feed provided a hope bag with a personal message from their teacher and new socks inside. Coca-Cola provided each student with a new backpack into which a new book from the Governor’s Literacy Foundation was placed. Extra books were left with the school for distribution through its other programs.
Meeting basic needs affirms children’s value to the community around them.
“The event surpassed our expectations. Just witnessing the joy and happiness on those children’s faces was incredible,” Vick said. “The volunteers and their support reaffirmed the belief in the power of compassion of the community coming together. I’m so lost for words. This was probably the closest to perfect shoe distribution I’ve done in years.”
The event was possible through the generosity of The Boedecker Foundation, a private foundation with a mission to empower communities and inspire positive change throughout the world. Collaborating with The Boedecker Foundation was Samaritan’s Feet, a humanitarian aid organization that serves and inspires hope by providing shoes to those in need around the world, and cityCURRENT, a private-funded catalyst engaging a team of more than 100 partner companies in an array of positive-oriented media and philanthropic initiatives to enrich, engage, and impact the community. Rounding out the list of contributors and supporters were Dr. Tammy Garrett and the Bedford County School System; Jeremy & Markya Carpenter, owners of Tennessee Downs Racing Club; John Dixon, Area Sales Manager, Reyes Coca-Cola Bottling-Midwest; and the Governor’s Early Literacy Foundation.
Southside’s students saw a community that cares. Who knows where good shoes might carry them in the future? GN
