OPERATION SHOEBOX: Supporting Our Troops

Helping Our Everyday Heroes Reach Out To Kids In War Zones

When my fiance Skye and his soldiers from the U.S. Army arrived in Afghanistan this June, they were immediately swarmed with barefooted children from the area. Children that walk long distances to school and to look for work, to try and create better lives for themselves and their families in some very hard conditions. These children remind the soldiers of their very own kids back home and it touched them, knowing these local children are lacking basic items like a pair of shoes.

Skye asked me to get our families and friends back home involved in a special project. We are collecting gently used kids shoes in all sizes to send to our soldiers overseas to give out to the children they encounter in the streets. Some of these kids have never owned a pair of shoes and are in desperate need of footwear to protect their feet from the harsh terrain and extreme temperatures.

“If these children don’t remember anything else about us being here, they might remember that an American soldier gave them their first pair of shoes or socks,” Skye said. “Giving the children items they need helps them get over the fear of people (Soldiers) in uniform . It shows them that people in uniform are not bad and are actually there to help."

Show our soldiers how much we appreciate their service, by donating shoes to hand out to children to allow them to walk to school and to better their opportunities for the future.

Please email me at Tanisita16@aol.com for more information about getting involved or where to drop off shoe donations. Feel free to get your neighborhood or your kids' classrooms involved, I have so many wonderful friends that work in the schools or the medical profession who are offering to help me spread the word! Back to school is a perfect time of year to get this going because so many kids are trading their summer play shoes for their new school shoes. The Goodwill and Value Village are also great places to pick up shoes for around $4 a pair. I am looking for any ideas for fundraising to raise money to help with shipping costs as well.