The Shoes Project

I wanted to pass along the article that is below and these photos from this great event. It was great to meet and spend time with the students from Parkwood and Laurel Hill Schools. Thank you to Principals Trish Stubbs of Laurel Hill and Patricia Gonzalez of Parkwood for their great work. We want to especially thank the ATT&T Pioneers and Famous Footwear for their generosity.















Rod and Sherry Craig pose with Melisa Cameron AT&T Services Inc. , Area Manager-Constituency Relations.

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Shoes 'don't have to hurt' AT&T volunteers donate footwear to children whose families can't afford it December 5, 2008
By ERIC SAXTON For The Courier News

Christmas came early this year for children in need of a new pair of shoes, thanks to a regional volunteer group.

The AT&T Pioneers, in collaboration with Famous Footwear, presented their annual "Shoes Project" on Thursday to help underprivileged children whose families could otherwise not afford to buy their children new shoes. Area children were greeted by Santa Claus and volunteers wearing Christmas attire at the Famous Footwear store here as they chose their brand new pair of shoes for the winter. Members of Hoffman Estates Police and Fire departments also were present to help facilitate the event.

The AT&T Pioneers volunteer group is comprised of current and retired AT&T employees, and the "Shoes Project" has been helping children for more than 40 years.

"This time of year, especially because of the cold, they (children) are not always able to receive shoes, or they currently have shoes that do not fit properly," said Melisa Cameron, area manager for constituency relations for AT&T.

Cameron said that letting the children pick something out for themselves is not an everyday occurrence and is special to them. Often, participating children will send thank-you letters to the volunteers after the event.

"A girl wrote that she's never had a pair of 'girl' shoes, and another wrote he didn't know shoes didn't have to hurt," Cameron added.

The AT&T Pioneers worked with school districts in the area to find children whose families are unable to afford new shoes for their children. Buses of children were dropped off at the store, and an estimated 400 pairs of shoes were donated.

Schools participating in the event included Sheridan, Gifford, Garfield, Channing Memorial, McKinley and Century Oaks in Elgin; Parkwood and Laurel Hill in Hanover Park; and John Muir Literacy Academy in Hoffman Estates.

In addition to shoes, Famous Footwear and the AT&T Pioneers donated socks and mittens to all the participating children. Goodie bags were distributed to participants, and activities such as drawing and visiting with Santa Claus were offered for the children while they waited for their classmates to finish selecting their new shoes.

The AT&T Pioneers purchased the majority of the shoes for the children, and Famous Footwear donated the 10 most expensive pairs of shoes. The AT&T Pioneers perform fund-raisers to prepare for events year-round.

"We do about eight fund-raisers a year to raise money for events like this," said Kim Grisham, a five-year AT&T Pioneer volunteer and Roselle resident.

"It's great that the kids really get to be (fully involved) in the event."