Shoes That Fit & The Newport Group

We are an AACPS: Community Partnership | 2019 Business Partner of the Year Nominee

Recognized for their support of AACPS by Germantown Elementary School

Shoes That Fit has made an extraordinary impact on our students at Germantown Elementary School. Shoes That Fit tackles one of the most visible signs of poverty in America by giving children in need new athletic shoes to attend school with dignity and joy, prepared to learn, play and thrive.  Shoes That Fit worked with schools and agencies nationwide to provide over 130,000 shoes to school children last year alone. In 2018, Shoes that Fit paired our school with the Newport Group to purchase shoes for 20 students in need. When our students received their shoes, they were so very happy with this caring gift. One of our students thanked the guidance counselor over and over each time he saw her in the hallway. Our students wrote letters to thank the Newport Group and the Shoes that Fit Organization. Here are some of the comments from our students:

  • “Thank you for the shoes, I can’t wait to wear them at recess.”
  • “Thank you for my new shoes ‘cause they make me run fast.”
  • “I like the color of my new shoes. They are cute and comfy.”

Organizations like Shoes That Fit touch the lives of children. Students feel like the can run faster and perform better in PE because of their new shoes and this, in turn, increases their feelings of self-esteem. Students feel proud to wear their new schools to school, which makes them more eager to attend school and happy to be learning.

Nekeda Newell Hall, Shoes That Fit’s Vice President of Strategic Partnerships, believes, “It’s important to support AACPS because when children know that the community cares about them, they perform better in the classroom and on the playground.  We want to remove the barrier of not having proper shoes so kids can attend class everyday prepared to reach their highest potential.”