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Gwinnett charity gives new shoes to students
Romaine Bird founded the nonprofit Kicks for Class after personally donating about 120 pairs of shoes during the summer.
GWINNETT COUNTY, Ga. - A Georgia nonprofit founded by veterans is working to boost students' self-esteem by providing brand-new sneakers to children in need.
What we know:
Kicks for Class was created this summer by military veterans who wanted to continue serving their communities.
Founder Romaine Bird drew inspiration from his own childhood struggles with having proper shoes and clothes for school, which sparked a lifelong love of sneakers.
After personally giving away about 120 pairs of his own shoes during the summer, Bird decided to launch the nonprofit.
Since then, the group has distributed dozens of new pairs of shoes to local children.
What they're saying:
Bird noted that walking into a classroom without adequate footwear can hurt a child's mindset and academic success.
"It builds confidence," Bird said. "There's nothing like walking in the classroom in two folds, having shoes that are not so appeasing, you know, or lack thereof, or which could definitely damage your, you know, your self-esteem, your mindset, which causes you not to do so well in school."
Senior Vice President Sharmaine Morrison recalled giving shoes to a young girl with six siblings who danced with excitement.
"And so when I took the shoes to her, she actually did a dance for me, and she was like, oh my God, I can wear them with my new pants that I got," Morrison said.
What's next:
While Kicks for Class currently focuses its efforts on Gwinnett County, leaders aim to expand their reach across the entire state.
"We're starting small, you know, we're only we're right now in Gwinnett, but we want to serve all, of all of Georgia," Morrison said.
What we don't know:
The organization has not announced specific dates for when it will launch services in additional Georgia counties.
Officials have also not disclosed full details on upcoming donation events or application processes for families seeking assistance.
The Source: The information in this story was gathered from direct statements from Kicks for Class founder Romaine Bird and Senior Vice President Sharmaine Morrison.