Back to Basics Shoe Distributions

In 2012, Samaritan’s Feet and many partners across the United States united to prepare students materially, physically and psychologically for school through our Back to Basics initiative! The goal of this collaboration is to celebrate the beginning of the school year by serving impoverished children and their parents as they prepare to go back to school.

This year with the help of our partners Samaritan’s Feet hosted 88 events to provide approximately 41,100 pairs of new athletic shoes and socks! In addition, nearly 33,000 of these children in grades K-5 received new sackpacks containing essential school supplies from the Office Depot Foundation through their National Backpack Program – part of a total donation of 48,000 sackpacks to Samaritan’s Feet in 2012.

Many families face the new school year with anxiety stemming from the burden of stretching the family budget to purchase required school supplies. Millions of children right here in the US wake up with holes in their shoes or have to squeeze their feet into shoes that are two or three sizes too small. Many suffer the embarrassment of taking their books and supplies to school in plastic grocery bags.

The Back to Basics initiative allows Samaritan’s Feet, the Office Depot Foundation and other partners the opportunity to create a joyful environment as our Ambassadors in local communities meet with each child personally to share hope and encouragement while receiving their new shoes, socks, and sackpacks.

To learn more about the Office Depot Foundation, click www.officedepotfoundation.org.

If you’re interested in partnering with us in 2013 on a corporate or personal level, please contact us here.