wfn.org | Church buys needy children new shoes for school

[NewsDesk <NewsDesk@UMCOM.UMC.ORG>]

Aug. 17, 2000 News media contact: Linda Green·(615)742-5470·Nashville, Tenn.
10-71B{372}

By United Methodist News Service

Getting new clothes, shoes and supplies for the school year is an
end-of-summer tradition for families across the country. In August, parents
and children stroll the aisles of department and discount stores selecting
and purchasing the most popular fashions and accessories.

But many children do without because caregivers cannot afford to buy new
items for school.

A congregation in Dodge City, Kan., is working to see that local children
receive at least one of the prerequisite items for the new school year.
First United Methodist Church is ensuring that needy children in
kindergarten through sixth grade receive free shoes.

The shoe ministry began last year, as the congregation searched for
innovative ways to have a positive effect on children. The pastor, the Rev.
Michael Gardner, presented the shoe idea to the congregation after
witnessing its success in another church. As a result of First Church's
initial efforts, several hundred children began the 1999 school year in new
shoes. The congregation raised almost $20,000 to buy nearly 650 pairs of
shoes that year. 

The success of helping less-fortunate children have new shoes for school led
the congregation to organize another fund-raising effort for the beginning
of the 2000 academic year. The church decided that any child who qualified
for a free or reduced lunch at school should receive a voucher for a new
pair of shoes.

"If they qualify for the free or reduced lunch program, we assume they can
use help with shoes," said Dee McKnight, office manager at First Church.
"Sixty percent of the students in Dodge City schools do qualify," she added.

First Church adopted this ministry for children because many members
understood how important shoes are in a child's life.

"For a lot of families, shoes are generally an expensive item, and for some
families it comes down to making a choice between shoes and school supplies
because money is not available for both," McKnight said. "Shoes and how they
look are important to children, and we felt that this was a good morale
builder for children to have new shoes to go to school."

The voucher system also helps parents by allowing them to use the savings
for other family needs, she said.

The church sent letters about the shoe ministry, in English and Spanish, to
parents of children in the local school district. Along with the letters,
parents received application forms urging them to provide children's ages
and proof of eligibility for the school's free and reduced lunch program. 

"Last year, we gave out shoes to everyone who applied," McKnight said. On a
first-come, first-serve basis, the church sends the applicant a $25 voucher
toward the purchase of a pair of shoes. Regardless of how many children are
in a family, each child between kindergarten and sixth grade receives a
voucher if the parents apply, she said.

Six local businesses have agreements with the church to provide the shoe
ministry, according to McKnight. The vouchers are sent to the applicants to
buy shoes at the participating stores. The applicant presents the voucher
for the shoes and the business bills the church for payment.  

So far, the church has raised $9,000 for the new school year, enabling it to
fill 360 of the 800 requests it has received. Money is being raised
primarily through contributions from First Church's 1,200 members and other
local individuals, businesses and organizations. "We raised $20,000 last
year and expect that much and more to probably come to fill all of those
(requests)," McKnight said. 

"The voucher is for $25 but people can use it to upgrade to a higher priced
shoe, like Nike," she said. The 1999 vouchers were for $30, but the church
decided to issue $25 vouchers this year because most of last year's
purchases were no more than amount.

The vouchers are valid until Sept. 30, but McKnight said the church would
try to honor the requests, as money is available. 

First Church hopes to expand the ministry in the future to include students
through high school.

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United Methodist News Service
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