MIDLAND, Texas — Everyone deserves to walk tall in a nice pair of kicks.
Buckner of Midland thinks so too!
As part of their shoe drive, each pair of shoes are not only brand new, they come with love.
“We’re going to our office to pick up some shoes and then we will be going to our family hope center where we will meet with the rest of the team and volunteers and write some notes,” said Patricia Acosta, executive director of Buckner in Midland.
However, these shoes aren't just getting any regular notes.
Every pair of donated shoes get a hand-written heartfelt message for the person who will wear them with pride.
"We've had children that are like, I get to, these are mine, like I can take this pair of shoes," Acosta said. "Every family, every child that comes through, they will get some shoes. Anyone that walks through our doors and needs a pair of shoes, especially with school coming up, they can come by and get some shoes."
This is the first shoe drive Buckner Midland has had in almost 10 years, and still they collected over 100 pairs of sneakers, sandals and socks. Acosta said this proves that the community is always here to lend a helping hand or shoe.
"We are excited that this was a great turn out and we're excited for years to come," Acosta said. "As people hear more about what we're doing, we're just very hopeful that we will increase and have more shoes to be able to serve better the community."
Serving the community goes beyond just a pair of shoes. This benefits all three of Buckner's programs - community outreach, self-sufficiency programs and foster care and adoption.
"When we get to provide some shoes for foster families, it just takes away this extra expense, you know, or something extra," Acosta said. "When we get to come in and provide the shoes for them, it's just it's really rewarding."
Whether it's local to our neck of the desert, or across the world, Buckner has a vision and a mission to serve.
"We really want to meet the families where they're at," Acosta said. "We open our arms to anyone that's walking in through the doors."
And when foster families walk through those doors, there will be a pair of shoes full of love with their name on it.