80 Local Youth Gifted Shoes

On Jan. 9, more than 80 local youth started the new year with new shoes from the Payless shoe store in Redlands. The Boys & Girls Club has partnered with Payless Shoesource’s Payless Gives Shoes 4 Kids international donation program since 2011 to give kids a new pair of shoes around the holidays. Each child and family was chosen by Boys & Girls Club staff to participate. Upon entering the Redlands store, each child’s or teenager’s feet were measured and were then given a cartoon-themed sticker with their shoe size. Then, a volunteer escorted each child or teen around the store and helped them try on shoes and pick pairs of socks, and sometimes laces. Each child got around $20 worth of merchandise. Harley, 11, chose gray and black sneakers because “I like the design” and “they fit well.” Rafael, 17, chose burgundy Airwalks because “they’re my kind of style.” He said the shoe program is “beneficial” and “very helpful.” Larrissa, 11, got black Airwalks because “black goes with everything.” Shanelle, 9, chose bright pink shoes and fluorescent tie-dye socks. “I’m thankful we’re able to do this. It’s kind of them to do this,” Shanelle said while waiting in line at the checkout. Volunteer Linda Browning of Redlands has been involved for about four years, and heard about the Payless event through friend Diana McLaughlin, whose husband Dave chairs the Club’s board. “Our job is to help kids find shoes and make sure they fit their feet,” said Browning, who has helped children of a variety of ages. “I usually steer them toward more practical shoes.” The McLaughlins also volunteered at the Redlands event, and Diana recruited friends to pitch in. Club Vice President Mark Davis, who bagged each shoebox at the checkout, said the program “is the perfect avenue for the Boys & Girls Club to help meet an essential need for the kids in our community.” “(The kids) had the opportunity to pick what they like and not have their parents choose for them, which is the good part,” said Redlands Payless store manager Ana Flores, who has helped run the event for three years. Two hundred Inland Empire youth are receiving new shoes from Payless this year. About 100 kids lined up at the Payless store on Magnolia Boulevard in Riverside on Saturday, Jan. 10, and 15 kids recieved shoes in Moreno Valley on Dec. 30, 2014.