Stepping Up: Local Students get Free Shoes

Nearly 500 students in White and Van Buren counties are able to begin this year’s classes sporting back-to-school basics – new shoes and socks.

The annual Shoe Program, a joint venture between Sparta First United Methodist Church and Rotary Club of Sparta, has helped students since its inception in 2020 as part of the church’s Tangent Christmas Party. That year, a group that had been providing shoes at the beginning of the school year was no longer able to do so, and the Shoe Program was born. The idea was to remove the shoes portion from the Tangent Christmas Party and move it up on the calendar to August instead of December. First Methodist reached out to the Rotary Club for help with the shoe fittings, and a wonderful partnership was born. That first year, more than 200 students in White County received shoes. Since then, participation has increased nearly 150 percent.

This year’s fall campaign just wrapped up, with 499 students from 11 area schools and Head Start receiving new shoes. The program’s 34 volunteers contributed 145 volunteer hours to the effort.

Now in its sixth year, the Shoe Program is led by a partnership of local groups, including the First Methodist Church, Rotary Club, and Hickory Valley Baptist Church, with financial and physical support from many other individuals and organizations across the community.

“School personnel – teachers, aides, nurses, administrators, cafeteria workers, janitors, and more – gather sizes for students who needed new shoes,” said Sparta Rotarian Buddy Dicus. “The information is collected, and volunteers are scheduled. Last year, more than 45 people volunteered time to the program, doing everything from donating and soliciting funds, shopping for shoes and socks, and distributing them to the students.”

“The Rotary Club of Sparta knows the importance of giving back to the community through partnerships, and part of how we can do that is by helping our students be ready for school,” Club President Mischelle Aycock said. “It may seem small, but providing students with new shoes can go a long way toward helping them be on equal footing, so to speak, with their peers.”

If you would like to help with the Shoe Project, please reach out to our volunteer coordinator, Cathy Farley, at the White County Public Library, 931-836-3613.

Visit www.rotary-club-of-sparta-tennessee.org or www.facebook.com/RotaryClubSpartaTN for more information on Rotary Club of Sparta.