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The project: Tennies for Kids, begun last year by Independence residents Donna Siegel and Betty Snapp. It provides new shoes to local children when school starts in August.
Stone Church is the program’s sponsor, and help also came last year from the Tomasha neighborhood. Siegel and Snapp saw the need “and within a matter of three or four weeks, we had it up and running.”
The need: The demand for new shoes far outstripped the 150 or so pairs that were available last year, so families were limited to one pair – meaning parents often had to choose which one child would get new shoes.
“That’s where it became really hard on your heart,” Siegel said.
The plan: Expand the program and gather at least 1,000 pairs of shoes by the time school starts in August. The program is in conjunction with the Community Services League’s annual school supplies drive.
“Children need a chance,” Siegel said, adding that that translates to two specific things when school starts – school supplies and good shoes.
Siegel and Snapp have expanded their committee to about 15 people and are approaching local service clubs. “We are reaching out to organizations to adopt this cause,” Siegel says.
The dream: “I have high hopes that this will expand into something truly wonderful because a new pair of shoes is the best thing a child can have,” Siegel says.
Want to help? Send email to Siegel at rlddsiegel@sbcglobal.net.
Also, donations can be given through the Community Services League’s website at www.cslcares.org. Organizers are working with various companies they hope to sign up as sponsors, meaning donations would go further.
The project: Tennies for Kids, begun last year by Independence residents Donna Siegel and Betty Snapp. It provides new shoes to local children when school starts in August.
Stone Church is the program’s sponsor, and help also came last year from the Tomasha neighborhood. Siegel and Snapp saw the need “and within a matter of three or four weeks, we had it up and running.”
The need: The demand for new shoes far outstripped the 150 or so pairs that were available last year, so families were limited to one pair – meaning parents often had to choose which one child would get new shoes.
“That’s where it became really hard on your heart,” Siegel said.
The plan: Expand the program and gather at least 1,000 pairs of shoes by the time school starts in August. The program is in conjunction with the Community Services League’s annual school supplies drive.
“Children need a chance,” Siegel said, adding that that translates to two specific things when school starts – school supplies and good shoes.
Siegel and Snapp have expanded their committee to about 15 people and are approaching local service clubs. “We are reaching out to organizations to adopt this cause,” Siegel says.
The dream: “I have high hopes that this will expand into something truly wonderful because a new pair of shoes is the best thing a child can have,” Siegel says.
Want to help? Send email to Siegel at rlddsiegel@sbcglobal.net.
Also, donations can be given through the Community Services League’s website at www.cslcares.org. Organizers are working with various companies they hope to sign up as sponsors, meaning donations would go further.
