257 Kids in Brooklyn, NY get new shoes to return to school in comfort and dignity  

LOS ANGELES, Dec. 11, 2012 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Shoes That Fit, a 20-year-old nonprofit organization, based in Southern California that works with hundreds of communities across America delivered new shoes to 257 school children at PS 253 in Brooklyn, NY after the devastation of hurricane Sandy.

PTA president Gina Dacchille contacted Shoes That Fit Headquarters in Southern California seeking help for the hundreds of children affected by this devastating hurricane. "After the families were allowed to return to their homes, they were able to salvage clothing by rewashing them, but shoes were just destroyed," says Gina. When she found out about the Shoes That Fit program, Ms. Dacchille contacted the Shoes That Fit Headquarters and their corporate partner California Sporting Goods Association immediately responded to the need. All 257 students were measured for proper fit and received new shoes donated from Shoes That Fit with the help of John McGovern, president of Forde-McGovern & Associates and member of the California Sporting Goods Association who generously donated to help these deserving children in need.

Shoes That Fit was inspired by one woman who heard of one boy who was in physical pain and mocked by others because he had to go to school in shoes that were three times too small for him," explains Roni Lomeli, Executive Director of Shoes That Fit. "Thousands of children can't attend school in comfort or dignity because their feet hurt. Because of the support of our donors, we were able to respond to the needs of these young victims of hurricane Sandy and provide them with the simple gift of a pair of new shoes."

With no government funding and a staff of only 6 employees, Shoes That Fit takes a simple, grassroots approach to the problem of ill-fitting shoes. A massive network of more than 300 volunteers from local sponsors are matched with nearby schools that have children in need. School staff identifies students, and measures their feet. Volunteers then buy the shoes to deliver them to the school. A sponsor can be any group of people including a business, school, church, civic organization or simply a group of caring friends.

In November 2012, nonprofit watchdog Charity Navigator bestowed its highest 4-star rating on Shoes That Fit for the third consecutive rating period.  Shoes That Fit is proud to earn this exceptional recognition since the scoring reflects all areas of the charity, including financial performance, accountability and transparency, and income.

Shoes That Fit is a 501c3 organization founded in 1992. The Claremont, California -based national office supports chapters in 41 states across the country. For more information about Shoes That Fit, to donate, or become a volunteer, call 888-715-4333 or visit their website at www.ShoesThatFit.org

SOURCE Shoes That Fit