Grant Elementary School at 2400 Downer Street in Richmond, CA has more than 800 students and more than 80% of them are considered to be low or very low-income.
In 1999, the North & East Neighborhood Council heard about “Shoes That Fit”, a national project (www.shoesthatfit.org) and decided to launch it. Since then, residents, friends, local groups, businesses and churches have contributed more than 1,000 pairs of shoes, either by purchasing them or donating money.
How it Works
The school identifies youngsters, some of them homeless, who don’t have shoes they can wear to school or whose shoes don’t fit. Neighborhood residents buy shoes (and sometimes shirts) for the students. Those who buy shoes drop them off at the Shoes That Fit Coordinator’s home to be delivered to the school. Others donate money and the coordinator shops for them.
How You Can Help
Contact the Shoes That Fit Coordinator to find out when the next purchase will occur and what items are particularly sought after.
Who Has Helped
In August, 2001, Michael J. of Security Pacific Real Estate issued a challenge: if the N & E raised $1,000 for the Shoes Program he would match it. In about two weeks checks totaling over $1,300 had arrived. Most of the $2,300 was spent in the fall of 2001, making it 469 pairs of shoes that were donated or purchased the first three months of the school year..
The 3rd grade Brownie Troop at Christ the King Catholic School in Pleasant Hill thought Shoes That Fit would make a good community service project. The troop sold Girl Scout cookies to raise part of the money. Then each girl earned money through recycling, summer plant and animal sitting, extra chores and saving their allowances. On November 5th, with their troop leader Carol Young, and the Cadette Troop from Christ the King, they came to Richmond to shop for the shoes, see Grant School and turn in 18 pairs of shoes.
Alta Bates Hospital nurse Cindy Grant and others at the hospital’s Inpatient Service have bought shoes several times, as have staff from Children’s Hospital. Salomon Smith Barney in Berkeley has donated more than 50 pairs each December for the last two years. And a 13-year-old girl in Montclair asked for shoes for her Bat Mitzvah and donated them to Grant School and to two Shoes That Fit projects in Oakland.
Representatives of the 10th grade class from Miramonte High School in Orinda delivered 52 pairs of shoes and socks to the Shoes That Fit program at Grant Elementary School. The 300 students in the class saved their snack money for the project.
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