As we close in on giving away our 20,000th pair of shoes, I'd like to give you a brief history of the Mission Amarillo Shoe closet. Mission Amarillo started out as an apartment ministry in affordable housing communities throughout Amarillo, Canyon, Hereford, and Friona. For the first 9.5 years of our work in these communities, we would do school supply and Christmas projects for the residents. As we began to get to know the residents, the same questions would come up over and over. Where can I get an affordable pair of shoes for my kids to start school?
So, we started our first shoe collection in the summer of 2010 and started giving away shoes. I honestly thought we would do a shoe give away each August, give away 200-300 pairs of shoes, and that would be it each year. However, we quickly found out that students needed shoes throughout AISD and throughout the school year. Our first year we gave away in excess of 1,500 pairs of shoes. In 2011, we included schools in Canyon, River Road, Highland Park, and Bushland ISDs. Since that time, we've given away over or very close to 1,000 pairs of shoes each year. Since 2021-22 school year, the need has increased as we have given away between 1,250-1,650 pairs of shoes each year.
As I look back over the history of the shoe closet, two things stand out. First, the generosity of our community. Time and again we have asked for shoes and our community has come through. Churches, businesses big and small, civic groups, small groups, and individuals have all come through the make sure we have plenty of shoes in the our shoe closet. I can't count the number of times I thought we were going to run out of some sizes of shoes, but our community would come through with donations of shoes and money. It's truly a testament to the generosity of the people in the Amarillo/Canyon area and the blessings of God's grace as He inspires us to care for the less fortunate in our community.
The second thing that stands out is the impact a single pair of shoes can have on the kids we give them to. This is probably the thing I love most about our shoe closet. The kids are not responsible for the situation they find themselves in. They truly are the victims of the myriad of circumstances that can lead a family into poverty. When we help them in shoes, we truly are helping what Jesus called "the least of these" in Matthew 25:31-46. Some of the cards, letters, and emails we have received have both humbled us and brough great joy knowing that those we've helped have been blessed by the shoes they've received. Here are some of the responses we've received below:
"Thank you for the shoes for the 5th grade girl. She started smiling the moment she put them on and was still smiling when I saw her in the hallway two hours later"
"I love the shoes because they fit me!"
One student ran up to his counselor after receiving the new shoes and said, "My feet aren't numb anymore!"
"I have watched students cry when receiving shoes. I've heard them say things such as "I've never had a new pair of shoes before", "Do I get to keep these?", "I never thought I'd have a pair of Nikes""
I could go on and on with the stories and the thank yous we have received. For me, this is the best thing about the shoe closet. It meets a need at a much deeper place than I could have ever imagined. When God called us to start the shoe closet, we were glad to meet the needs out there, but we had no idea the impact a simple pair of shoes could have. As we close in on giving away our 20,000th pair of shoes, I'm thankful that God has allowed me to play a role in His plan to not only meet a need, but be a part of Him reminding them that He sees them and they are not forgotten.
Jeff Parsons, Executive Director of Mission Amarillo, but more importantly Program Director for our Shoe Closet.
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