This summer, the Abraxas Youth Center literature classes started a unit devoted to acts of kindness. Each lesson provided a new opportunity to present one of the ten kindness concepts including assertiveness, caring, compassion, fairness, gratitude, integrity, helpfulness, perseverance, respect, responsibility, self-care, and self-discipline.
One classroom was specifically chosen for an opportunity to combine their literature unit with a hands-on math unit. The school purchased kits to make shoes, and students were asked to use their math knowledge of fractions and measurement to construct shoes that would be donated to those in need through an organization called Soles4Souls. Soles4Souls is an organization that collects unwanted shoes to donate to individuals around the world who do not have shoes.
Our students completed twenty-two pairs of handmade shoes! They took such pride in their workmanship and developed an understanding of the impact they could have in the world. Students began to think beyond themselves and discover a sense of gratitude for the things they have in their lives. One student said in an essay, “It made me feel proud. It is important to help the world because if you help the world, the world might help you.”
As we finished up the shoe project and reached out to our Soles4Souls contact person, the students also started an employee shoe drive. They created posters and flyers that explained the cause and encouraged staff to donate unused shoes. They also collected Abraxas residents’ unused shoes. With those shoes and the shoes made from our classroom, the shoe drive collected one hundred and sixty-five pairs of shoes to donate.
Two residents were given the honor of delivering the shoes to our Soles4Souls representative, Karin. She explained that all her shoes are selected to go to Haiti. Her passion has been to aid the women of Haiti so that they can support their families. Karin was impressed with our homemade shoes and will be hand delivering them to the people of Haiti.
