Thanks to
Payless ShoeSource and the Office of Child Development Family Foundations Early
Head Start (EHS) program, 300 feet were a lot warmer and more comfortable over
the holiday season.
On
December 16, three buses full of children, their families, and EHS staff pulled
in to the West Mifflin Century III Mall parking lot and packed in to a Payless
store. They were greeted by Payless staff, who helped children to measure their
feet and helped them try on pairs of shoes. Parents were given coupons to cover
the cost of shoes that the children picked out. As some parents helped their
children excitedly pick out shoes, others were looking for shoes to give as
Christmas presents to their older children, who were in school that day. Any
child in school up to 18 years of age could receive a pair of shoes, and a
total of 150 children received new shoes through the event.
Last
November, Payless selected the Tri-Boro Family Foundations EHS site as an
official partner organization for Payless Gives Shoes 4 Kids, an annual giving
program. The site is one of 800 charitable agencies that participate in the
program across the United States, Canada, Puerto Rico, and Latin America. "In
its third year, the goal of the Payless
Gives Shoes 4 Kids program remains the same—to provide footwear, a basic
necessity, to children who might otherwise go without," said LuAnn Via, Payless
President and CEO.
For some
children, these new shoes replaced worn-out shoes that wouldn’t hold up in the
winter. Others only owned flip-flops before picking out a pair of new shoes.
As the
economy continues to languish during this winter season, new shoes are
particularly important for families in need. For Via, responding to this need
is the Payless Gives program’s primary goal. “The success of the program over
the past two years, and the number of children and families we have been able
to assist, continues to drive our efforts,” said Via. “Unemployment is still
very high, affecting many families that struggle to provide their children with
basic essentials. This is especially challenging during the holidays.”
Mandy
Slavich, the Tri-Boro site coordinator, noted that these issues are
particularly difficult for families in the communities served by the Tri-Boro
EHS site. The recession has had a lasting impact on Braddock and surrounding
areas. Last year, the borough’s largest employer, UPMC Braddock Hospital,
closed, leaving many without jobs. Many parents in the community are struggling
to find full-time work or schooling programs that could help them provide for
their children.
After
opening the doors to its Tri-Boro site in Braddock last February, around the
corner from the former Braddock hospital grounds, Family Foundations soon
became a source of strong community interest, providing support services for 40
families in the area. Staff went door to door in the neighborhood to tell
community members about the program and to recruit families. News of the
program’s services also spread quickly through word of mouth.
According
to Slavich, many community members were surprised by the range of support
provided by the program for low-income families, including in-home child
development support, parenting training, and support/referral services for
health, nutrition, education, and career development. “For some individuals, it
almost sounded too good to be true,” Slavich said. As the site continues to serve the area, the community
has increasingly welcomed Family Foundations as a support for Braddock and
surrounding areas.