New Shoes For LA Kids!

Play Equity to Advance Mental Health (sponsored by the Los Angeles Dodgers Foundation)

County of Los Angeles

Expand existing project, program, or initiative

STF provides new athletic shoes to kids in need across the US, so they can participate in educational and athletic activities. Our primary area of focus is LA County, which has a poverty rate higher than the national average with more than 1 in 4 children living in poverty. Absenteeism and a lack of basic supplies are an ongoing challenge. Many of our families are from BIPOC communities, and/or are recent immigrants who are English language learners learning to navigate new systems. We partner with the LAUSD and other local school districts to alleviate one of the most visible signs of poverty so students can go to school ready to learn. In response to community need, we recently developed a partnership with the LA County Office of Education, which serves housing insecure and foster youth. In response to the COVID pandemic, STF also pioneered shoe banks in local communities, which enable students to access shoes as needed, in close proximity to where they live.

Last year, STF served 33,469 children in LA County, but the demand for services is much greater. We have the logistics expertise and partnerships with the shoe industry to bring these resources to more than 40,000 children this coming year to try to meet the growing demand. A grant from LA2050 would provide shoes for 2500 of these children. STF staff identify schools with high concentrations of low-income students, and school administrators and teachers identify the kids most in need. We provide teachers and administrators with tools and training to measure children's feet and ensure that 100% of children served receive new shoes that fit. All programs deliver new, name-brand athletic shoes to children in need at a cost of $30 per pair. As an example, STF recently partnered with the LA Rams to provide 400 pairs of shoes to kids in Inglewood. Players like Keir Thomas and TJ Carter and the Rams mascot visited Highland Elementary, just a few miles from where they play. The kids got to test their brand new shoes out by doing fun drills with the athletes. When children grow up with the challenges of poverty, new shoes often aren't a priority in the family budget. But shoes that don't fit properly can hold children back from playing to their full potential. Principal Trevino Jones shared, "It's an opportunity that most of us take for granted, however, it's very needed and our kids are very excited about it."

STF will improve the quality of 40,000 kids' lives in LA County next year, helping to remove a basic barrier to success. Chronic absenteeism occurs at rates 3 to 4 times higher in high-poverty areas, according to a study conducted by Johns Hopkins University. Students who are chronically absent are at serious risk of falling behind in school. Compared to their white peers, American Indian and Pacific Islander students are over 50 percent more likely to lose three weeks of school or more, Black students 40 percent more likely, and Hispanic students 17 percent more likely. Without proper footwear, kids are more likely to miss school and be unable to particulate fully in activities (2.ed.gov). We know from research and community feedback that shoes are a critical and often overlooked need when addressing child poverty. Longer term, these funds will ensure that we continue to build out our infrastructure and ability to scale our operations to meet increased need in the future.

Since our founding 30 years ago, we have served communities in need throughout LA County. Shoes have a direct impact on a child's school attendance, behavior and attitude, and level of activity on the playground and with classmates. Teachers regularly report that they have no other resources for shoes, and we have a waiting list of schools who need help. We collect quantitative analysis and qualitative data provided by teachers, administrators, kids, and parents, as well as through community guidance solicited through annual surveys of school administrators and teachers who share the changes in behavior they observe in their students. Results from our biannual surveys in 2022 are a testament to the success of our programs: 90% of respondents reported an improvement in confidence among the children who received new shoes; 87% noted an increase in self-esteem; 85% reported an improved attitude; 76% noted an increase in physical activity; and 47% reported a rise in attendance.