450 Meridian Elementary Students to Receive a Free Pair of Shoes

If you're a parent that just sent a couple little ones back to school you know that getting them each a pair of new shoes can add up on top of the money spent on school supplies and new school clothes.

That's why Real Life Ministries pastor Justin Jordan organized for his church to use their $13,000 Easter offering to buy every student at Meridian Elementary School a new pair of shoes to play and exercise in.  According to the Meridian Press, Jordan is a Meridian Elementary grad and his church routinely puts together projects to help the school.  His alma mater has a great deal of students on the free or reduced lunch program and many of the families with students at Meridian Elementary are struggling to make ends meet.  Jordan tells the Meridian Press that they want the kids at the school to know that they're worth it no matter what and that's why they've chosen to make this investment in new shoes.

Real Life Ministries took their Easter Collection to my friend Brandon at Fleet Feet Meridian and together they made sure that every child was properly fitted by Fleet Feet before ordering the shoes for the Meridian students. Fleet Feet took that information back to the store and ordered the students brand new shoes at a reduced wholesale price.

I ran into a friend at the FitOne Expo who works at Meridian Elementary and she tells me the kids are stoked to receive their new shoes.  One little boy even told her that he's never had a new pair of tennis shoes before and couldn't wait to get rid of his beat up flip flops that he wears to school every day.

They'll receive the shoes on Tuesday, October 4th at 2:55 PM during a "Kicks for Kids" celebration.  Fleet Feet and Real Life Ministries are looking for volunteers from the community to come cheer on the kids as they walk or run their first laps in their new shoes!

Find out more about being part of the celebration HERE.