INDIANAPOLIS — Putting on a pair of shoes each morning is something many of us take for granted. But for thousands of kids across Indiana, New Shoe Day says "shoe insecurity" is a real barrier to safety, comfort and confidence, one that the nonprofit is working to remove with a big goal to become the state's shoe bank.
WATCH FULL STORY BELOW
"The reality is that there are a lot of kids in the state of Indiana that don't have access to proper footwear," New Shoe Day Executive Director Casey Crouse said.
Due to the demand and growth of the all-volunteer organization, Crouse became the first full-time executive director at the start of this year.
"It's a dream come true… it's been a calling," Crouse said. "Last year we supported 5,500 kids, so all time we've done 11,000 new shoe days served in the community."
New Shoe Day has about a dozen shoe pantries across the state. One is located at BrightLane Learning, which helps kids facing housing insecurity.
"New Shoe Day helped us acquire shoes we could have on hand as they need them," Fatima Johnson, community engagement and education strategist at BrightLane Learning, said. "If we can make it more comfortable for them, to feel like their housed peers, it gives them more space to focus on their academics."
New Shoe Day also partners with University High School baseball to outfit Arsenal Tech and Purdue Polytechnic players with new cleats.
"Everybody has to have cleats. Everybody has to have a bat. It took a big burden off of us," Donald Baker, assistant athletic director at Purdue Polytechnic High School, said.
For the players themselves, the impact is just as meaningful.
"I wasn't really expecting to get new stuff, but it does mean a lot, and it was kind of a surprise," baseball player Jordan Winkler said. "Makes it a little easier on my parents who already pay for a lot of stuff for me to continue to play."
Baker said New Shoe Day helped remove a barrier for his athletes, one he normally takes on himself.
"Every year, kids don't have shoes. I have to figure out where to pay for it out of my own pocket. So New Shoe Day really helped out a whole lot by taking care of that for us," Baker said.
With their new headquarters and a dozen shoe pantries across Indiana, New Shoe Day is building toward becoming the state's shoe bank, so no child has to go without the footwear they need.
"They'll look us right in the eye and say, 'I've never gotten a pair of shoes in a box before,'" Crouse said. "And that's all you need to understand that there's a good reason behind what we're doing."
New Shoe Day works with more than 50 community partners across the state. To get connected or make a donation, visit newshoeday.org.
__
