Letter From The Founder

Hi! I’m chloe!

When I was 13, I became aware of an overwhelming need to help my peers at school. Students were being bullied for things that were out of their control. Shoes, in particular, seemed to be a main focus of the bullies at my school. It occurred to me that if these kids had a nice, new pair of shoes, maybe they wouldn’t get bullied at all. Not only that, but a simple pair of shoes could relieve their anxiety surrounding going to school and give them the confidence that they needed to succeed, socially and academically. With careful consideration and some thoughtful planning, it became my dream and my goal to connect individual and commercial sponsors with families in need of assistance.

That was the beginning of Shoes for School.

As I continued to witness countless students falling victim to bullying that stemmed from financial hardship, I knew I had to do more. After previously assisting my mother as she organized events to give away over 600 backpacks and school supplies to families in my community that were struggling to prepare for a new school year, I had an idea of what my ambitious undertaking would entail. I was determined to provide new shoes to my underprivileged peers and four years later, my dream is now a reality as I continue to grow my foundation and our outreach.   

As I work on expanding Shoes for School, I’m always humbled when I stop to examine my own life and experiences. I’m very blessed to be in the position that I am in now and very grateful to be able to give others assistance when they need it. When I was growing up, I saw both of my parents working hard and sometimes struggling to provide for my siblings and myself. Fortunately, my family was able to overcome the financial hardships that life dealt us, but sadly, I know that not everyone is as lucky. It can be particularly stressful for parents that are struggling to afford Back to School shopping. Almost as stressful as Christmas shopping, which puts it pretty high up on the list of financial anxieties. 

Our purpose is to alleviate some of the stress related to preparing your child, or children, for the new school year. It is our promise at Shoes for School to help as many struggling families as we can, for as long as we can. It is our goal to empower the children of those families, to shine a ray of hope and encouragement.  

Thanks to our supporters, we have helped thousands of families, but there are still so many more families out there that are experiencing financial pressure in our strained economy. My goal is to expand the outreach of Shoes for School to fill this essential need for those families struggling to prepare their children for the upcoming school year.

When facing hardships, a small act of kindness goes a long way. 

I thank you all, from the bottom of my heart, for your continued support, your donations, volunteering your time, and spreading awareness for our cause. Together, we can keep making a difference in children’s lives across the nation and we can keep spreading our message that in a world where it’s all too easy to be cruel, it’s okay to be kind.

Thank you,
Chloe Rahming