Shoes from the heart distributes shoes. / Photo: Danielle Ledbetter
Thursday was the big day for the H.E.A.R.T Organization as the group gave out shoes to Dougherty County students.
President and CEO of the H.E.A.R.T Organization, Anne Johnson, started the 'Shoes From The Heart' project in 2009 after noticing children walking around in shoes that didn't fit.
She says out of all the years she's done the project, this year is a little different.
"With all of the natural disasters that happened, there are families that got hit and some children maybe had shoes that got destroyed or whatever, so instead of the parent having to run out to buy the shoes, we could provide a pair of shoes here at Christmas time," said Johnson.
Despite the disasters this community has faced, there has always been a need for shoes.
"One child we specifically saw [in the past] had on a pair of shoes on and we were like 'put your shoes on.' He said 'I can't'. I said 'why not?' He said 'they're too small' and actually that child had on a size 13 little shoes and he was at a size 2," said Johnson.
Year in and year out, the shoes have had a large impact on the students they're given to, according to Johnson.
"They're able to learn and to come to school and not have to worry about ill-fitting shoes or even being bullied because they're having to walk on the backs of their shoes or just having shoes that just don't fit," says Johnson.
Their teachers notice a difference too.
"Just to see a smile on their face and knowing they're more confident walking down the hall as they're interacting with the other kids, you know it definitely makes a difference," said Turner Elementary School paraprofessional Joshua Green.
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