March 19, 2024

‘Shoes That Fit’ campaign underway in Newton area

Public Encouraged to Help Meet Clothing Needs of Local Children

At least 200 local elementary students from Aurora Heights Elementary and Emerson Hough Elementary in Newton will benefit from the annual “Shoes That Fit” campaign which is now underway to help supply children in need with shoes, boots and winter coats. The nonprofit community outreach program is led by Mediacom, along with FNNB.

The purpose of “Shoes That Fit” is to fulfill specific shoe and clothing needs matched to individual children identified by school liaisons. The donations collected are often the only genuinely “new” items available to children whose needs have been confidentially assessed in recent weeks. Community residents are encouraged to participate this month by purchasing need-specific items. The “Shoes That Fit” campaign is conducted in October to meet a pressing need for children’s shoes, boots and coats before winter weather arrives. Donors can be assured that their donations are used locally to benefit children in the Newton area.

The “Shoes That Fit” program is about more than shoes, said Robert Montgomery, Mediacom’s vice president for OnMedia ad sales.

“In many classrooms, teachers will see a child with only one pair of worn-out shoes and no real option for a good winter coat or boots. This affects a child’s self-esteem, and it means that learning takes a back seat to embarrassment,” Montgomery said.

The program is underway now through Nov. 3. In the Newton area, the FNNB has set up a donor station to encourage customers, employees and others to select needs cards and then donate the specified items. Each donor card describes the needed item and specifies the child’s gender and size. Individual donors shop for the items, return them to the business (unwrapped), and then Mediacom ensures prompt delivery to students through the school liaison. Only new shoes, coats and boots will be accepted.

This year marks the 16th year in which Mediacom and its OnMedia employees have coordinated the “Shoes That Fit” charity in central Iowa. The campaign has partnered with more than 50 elementary schools in Des Moines, Newton, Marshalltown, Fort Dodge and Ames to collect more than 100,000 donations of new shoes and clothing for local children in need.

Any donations can be dropped off at FNNB, 100 N. Second Ave. W. in Newton.