At the insistence of one of our committee members who remembered what it was like as a child to have oft-repaired shoes, we contacted the principal of the public school two blocks from our church. Many of our members and their children have attended this school. The school is able to provide students who need them winter coats, hats, mittens, and scarves—but not shoes. The principal was delighted with our offer of money for shoes or boots. Some students come to school in shoes that are falling apart. Faculty members suspect that in rare instances, siblings share a pair of shoes.
In order to protect the privacy of students, staff will identify anyone they think needs a pair of shoes. A staff person will seek permission from the parents to purchase a pair of shoes and will get the shoe size. A pair of shoes will be bought and given to the child. The school will notify us and give us some general information (2nd-grade girl; 6th-grade boy) each time a pair of shoes or boots is purchased. We will post that information on our bulletin board. In this way the members of the congregation will have a visible reminder of what a difference their giving is making.

Sally Kaiser
Knox Presbyterian Church
St. Paul, MN 55104
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