Photo, courtesy of UC Staff
By Shayra Calderon
Shoes 4 the Soul is an amazing community service event created by teens 13 years ago that is still helping the young kids in Williamsburg today. This event aims to give the children in Williamsburg the opportunity to receive a new pair of shoes for the first time or in a while. Most children attending this event still wear the pair they received at last year’s event.
Shoes 4 the Soul is an excellent opportunity for college students to get the community service hours needed for graduation. Nonetheless, the event goes beyond community service hours. It is about creating a healthy bond with the children who come in, as some do not have healthy relationships at home. The event gives kids who cannot afford necessities a new pair of shoes and hygiene products. College students get the opportunity to bond with a little kid and be a part of the excitement they feel when they receive their new items.
The way Shoes 4 the Soul works is the kids arrive on the school buses and head to O. Wayne Rollins Center, where the event occurs. Then, the college students are assigned a buddy. The college kids can now create a bond with their buddies and take them over to get their feet washed. They only get them cleaned if they are comfortable with it. The college student brings their buddies’ shoe size as they get their feet washed. After the kids get their shoes, they receive hygiene products based on age, such as shampoo, conditioner, body wash, toothpaste, toothbrush, socks, and deodorant.
Being a part of this event is truly a humbling experience. The kids were so grateful and filled with excitement. Some of them were running around testing out their new shoes. Shoes 4 the Soul was indeed a memorable experience for all involved. The joy and excitement radiating off these kids when they got their new shoes was priceless.
Williamsburg, Kentucky, is considered one of the poorest zones in the state. Due to this, Shoes 4 the Soul is rapidly growing. It started with one or two schools and now branches to others. Many students volunteer for Shoes 4 the Soul even if they already have all their community service hours. They want to help give back to a community that has given them so much. It never hurts to give back to the area we live in.
