Shoes That Fit Blog by category: Volunteer

The Sneaker Ball gala in celebration of Shoes's That Fit's 20 Year anniversary & donation of 1 Million pairs of new shoes was great fun & we appreciate all who attended! A special thanks to Wayne Niemi of Footwear News for joining us & writing this wonderful article!

The Sneaker Ball is finally here & we want you to come celebrate with us! After lots of planning & preparation, we are puttng the finishes touches on our gala in celebration of Shoes That Fit's 20 Year Anniversary and donation of 1 Million pairs of new shoes. We'd love for you to join us April 21st at the historic Roosevelt Hotel in Hollywood, CA for an evening of fun, food, friends & laughter! You don't want to miss this once in a lifetime event in celebration of the many children helped by the Shoes That Fit program across the country.
 
The Sneaker Ball kicks off with a hosted cocktail reception, live entertainment, gourmet meal and your chance to bid on our incredible live & silent auction items to include unbelievable vacation packages, quaint get-aways, designer fashion items from Jimmy Choo, Prada, & Cole Haan just to name a few! Of course, there will be a few unforgettable 'surprises' in between. 
 
Can't make it to the Sneaker Ball but still want to support this wonderful program? Your tax-deductible donation gladly accepted & appreciated!
 
Shoes That Fit is so excited to celebrate these milestones of 20 Years & 1 Million pairs of new shoes donated to children in need! We know that you believe as we do that-Every Child Deserves Shoes That Fit. See you at the Sneaker Ball!

Shoes That Fit is proud to announce that on March 11th our very own volunteer extraordinaire, Linda Ray, will be awarded the Heroes of the Heartland award by Stater Bros. Markets which includes $10,000 to donate to the charity of her choice!

Linda has been working her magic as a Shoes That Fit volunteer since 2004. She has led her Golden State Foods workplace in City of Industry in their Shoes That Fit endeavors, donating 2,234 pairs of brand new athletic shoes to children in need at 39 schools in eastern LA County, the Inland Empire and beyond. Linda’s site is geared to help an additional 7 schools before Spring Break. Potentially 525 more kids will be heading to school with shoes that fit—and smiles on their faces.
 
Linda says Shoes That Fit is more than just a workplace project.
 
“Partnering with Shoes That Fit not only has strengthened our community and our company’s culture,” says Linda, “but it is now a mission within my family that is being passed to a third generation.”
 
Linda’s Shoes That Fit work has inspired other Golden State Foods sites across the country from Washington state to North Carolina. From the beginning of the school year in August 2011 on through this past winter break, Golden State Foods chapters provided 1,674 pairs of new shoes to children in 8 states—all working with the same model Linda helped develop.
 
“Linda has taken time from her busy schedule to participate as a volunteer for our Foundation for many years,” says Renee Uribe, the current GSF Foundation Chair at their site. “Volunteers such as Linda are changing the lives and shaping the future for youth throughout our communities every day. She is truly an inspiration.”
 
 
“While Shoes That Fit is a national organization helping children in 40 states, we are focusing our growth in LA and Orange Counties and the Inland Empire,” says Roni Lomeli, Executive Director of Shoes That Fit. “If we could clone one volunteer to help us achieve our goals, it would be Linda Ray. By lashing her corporation’s commitment to community involvement to her personal and family passion for giving, Linda not only provides new shoes to hundreds of children each year, she inspires others to do the same.”

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With National Running Day on June 1st, the New York Road Runners Club has generously decided to raise funds for Shoes That Fit! You can participate in one of two ways:
 
 1) Go for a jog on June 1st and stop at a charity check-in point. When you do, National Running Day partners will donate $1 to Shoes That Fit
 
 2) Be part of the fundraising team by donating directly through the National Running Day Crowdrise page, created by New York Road Runners Club.
 
New York Road Runners youth programs promote children's fitness, character development, and personal achievement by bringing free and low-cost running programs to schools and community centers across the country. 
 
 

Swing into spring by helping a child in need
 
With the official start of Spring just a few days away, Shoes That Fit is off and running with our annual Spring for Shoes campaign in the Claremont Village, CA! Campaign runs from: March 25 –April 10, 2011. Under the leadership of Joan Bunte, owner of Stamp Your Heart Out, and the generosity of merchants throughout downtown Claremont, 200 local school children in need will be treated to new athletic shoes, socks and other goodies. Participation is as easy as 1, 2, 3!
 

1. You choose an empty basket with a child’s name, age and shoe size from any participating merchant
2. Fill the basket with a new pair of shoes, socks and treats
3. Return the basket to the store you picked it up from

 
And since you’ll already be in The Village picking up your Shoes That Fit basket to help a child in need feel great returning to school from spring break, hop around to some of the other participating merchants and pick up a few springtime goodies for yourself, too!
 
For more information or a complete list of participating merchants, contact Joan Bunte at Stamp Your Heart Out 909-621-4363
 

 When a gentleman with a British accent began phoning our headquarters here in Claremont, CA asking to speak to executive director Roni Lomeli, we thought nothing out of the ordinary. When he called again but preferred not to identify himself or leave a message, our interest was peaked. After his third call, he gladly told us his name was John Cooke and he was a correspondent for the National Enquirer! The Enquirer was doing a series of articles entitled, Acts of Kindness which spotlights individuals or organizations that are making a difference and improving the lives of others around them. With an average of 576,000 copies sold each week, we are thrilled about the possibilities this article could bring. Whatever your opinion of the magazine, we think Mr. Cooke did a fantastic job of capturing who and what Shoes That Fit is all about! Click on the image below to read the full article.