Hailey Heseltine
ECB Publishing, Inc.
Each year, a shoe drive is held with the goal of collecting hundreds of shoes for the community to take home. Last year, organizer Jamia Bradley was able to gather and distribute 375 pairs of shoes for free. With a goal of collecting at least 200 new or gently used pairs of shoes in the coming months, she's hoping to see even bigger turnout this year.
The shoes will be initially distributed at the Back-to-School Bash, a community event to be held at Jefferson County K-12 Community Partnership School on Aug. 1. Since they will be collected in a variety of sizes, it is hoped to supply as many students as possible with the shoes they need before the school year starts. Leftover pairs will be forwarded to the Tiger Closet, where they will be available for community members of all ages to take them as needed. For donations to be offered at the Back-to-School Bash, they will need to be delivered by Friday, July 31.
Donations of new or gently used shoes in any size, or monetary donations to support the purchase of new shoes, will be accepted by Jamia Bradley (850-242-1560). Those who wish to send monetary donations can do so via Zelle (850-242-1560) or Cash App ($Mia1889).