CONWAY, Ark. – Approximately 175 Conway area residents received a new pair of shoes on Sunday, thanks to a combined effort from Samaritan’s Feet, the University of Central Arkansas Student-Athlete Advisory Committee (SAAC) and True Holiness Saints Center.
The event at True Holiness Saints Center was on behalf of Samaritan’s Feet, a national organization that provides shoes to the needy. The event was one of 11 shoe distributions being held across the country for the National Day of Service on Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. weekend. In 2013, Samaritan’s Feet held 21 Shoes of Hope events to celebrate the National Day of Service.
Sunday’s recipients, who were pre-chosen from the community, consisted of Conway children, elderly and Bethlehem House residents.
“It was awesome to watch,’ said Natalie Shock, UCA’s assistant athletic director and senior woman administrator who helped coordinate the project. “There was laughter, then sometimes you had to wipe away the tears. Certainly, the people were excited to get new shoes. But I really thought our student-athletes may have gotten as much or more out of the experience than the folks getting the shoes.’
The UCA SAAC, for the past two years, has been involved with Samaritan’s Feet, an organization that strives to give shoes to those in need and has specific programs that work through athletic groups to achieve the organization’s goals. UCA, along with thousands of coaches around the country, has participated in “Barefoot for Bare Feet,” where the basketball and volleyball coaches have coached games without shoes to raise awareness for the cause.
The UCA student-athletes participating Sunday met and interacted with the recipients, helped them select their shoes, washed their feet and then put on their new socks and shoes. The Shoes of Hope events provide unique opportunities for the volunteers to encourage, provide comfort, and share hope with those in need.
Samaritan’s Feet has a goal to hand out 1 million shoes in 10 years.
Source: http://www.southland.org/news/2014/1/15/GEN_0115143012.aspx
