photos by Jeff Harbin, Life of Riley Photography

A Perfect Fit

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Most of us are fortunate enough to not worry about how we’ll provide shoes for our children as they grow. However, Jeff Parsons and Jeanette Davis discovered that’s not the case for a number of children who live in affordable housing in Amarillo.

As a division of Multi-Housing Outreach, A Step Up began in April of this year when Jeanette heard about Jeff’s work with the kids who lived in affordable-housing apartment complexes. Since 2002, MHO has been establishing relationships with families in these apartments, first by bringing Easter baskets, then helping with school supplies each year, and finally with presents for children at Christmas.

When Jeff started MHO, the one thing property managers told him that parents were most concerned about were shoes. Of the people they distributed supplies to, about 40 percent asked for shoes the first year. The next year, requests went up to 50 percent and in 2009, as high as 60 percent. Specifically, MHO gave supplies to 868 kids and 500 requested shoes. The ministry allows only $30 per child for Christmas gifts, which doesn’t leave enough money to also purchase shoes. Out of need and Jeanette’s compassion, A Step Up was born.

According to Jeanette, there is an estimated 1.5 million pairs of shoes in Americans’ closets and about 300 million were thrown away last year. “Everyone has shoes they don’t wear in their closet,” says Jeanette. “If they could just spare us a few shoes, it would help.”

Jeff and Jeanette found that kids borrow shoes from each other so it will look like they have more than one pair. In the summer, they spend their time barefoot or in cheap flip flops but that’s not up to dress code or sufficient for school; they will need athletic shoes. Jeanette told me she hates it for those who already live below the poverty line to have to choose between a pair of shoes for a growing child or food. The children they help have started growing to the point that parents just can’t afford to keep up.

So far, the ministry has collected 1277 pairs from a spring shoe drive involving area schools. They’ve also had help from area businesses and churches. This summer, First Baptist Church decided to get involved. Robbie Barrett, FBC’s Minister of Education, heard about A Step Up and immediately knew a shoe drive would be a perfect fit for this year’s VBS. They were able to collect 555 pairs plus $500 in donations to use towards the purchase of more shoes. After First Baptist’s shoe drive, the ministry will still need up to 2400 more pairs of shoes. They basically need to double what they already have since they expect 500 to 700 kids at this year’s back-to-school distribution and hope to have enough shoes to give each child an everyday and also an athletic pair of shoes.

When I visited their facilities, I was touched but the amount of work the team has done to prepare for August. Pleasant Valley Baptist Church and Front Porch ministry let them use a trailer house to store donated shoes. Every room is filled with bins of shoes that need to be sorted and cleaned. Upon seeing the crowded rooms, it’s clear they also desperately need a larger building.

This type of volunteer work is perfect for college or high school students and church small groups who can come help sort shoes into sizes and clean them if they are gently used. A Step Up’s back-to-school distribution will be the first Saturday in August. They will go on location to the 13 affordable housing sights they visit. Their hope is that area schools will begin referring children who are in need. After their August distribution, they will have another drive to replenish what they’ve given out for BTS. They plan on collecting more shoes in September or October but encourage people to donate year-round.

Jeanette, Jeff and the people who support them are passionate about their cause. They feel they’re making a difference in the lives of the families they reach in a very tangible way. To ensure that I grasped the depth of need in Amarillo, they told me of a child who received a pair of shoes from them during an outreach. After fitting a boy with tennis shoes, one of the ministry partners, Brooks Boyett, offered to cut the tags off them but the young man repeatedly refused. Brooks finally asked him why he wanted to keep the tags.

He quickly replied, “Because these are the first pair of new shoes I’ve ever owned.”

You Can Help

Donate the following items:
- All sizes of new and gently-used shoes
- New socks, all sizes
- New white athletic shoelaces, all lengths and new black or brown shoelaces for everyday shoes
- 409 Cleaner
- Mr. Clean Magic Erasers or generic equivalent
- Strong paper towels
- Shoe polish in all colors
- Monetary donations to aid in the purchase of new shoes and socks in bulk

Drop all donations off at 2123 S. Van Buren at the Amarillo Area Baptist Association

You can also volunteer with a small group or as an individual to help sort and clean shoes.

by Michele McAffrey

Born and raised in Amarillo, Michele enjoys cooking for her large family and spending time with them on the weekend.