By Charles Romans
Carter County Times
While many of us might be looking forward to a more relaxed schedule between now and the New Year, Sherry Archey said that, unfortunately, need is something that never takes a holiday. It’s something the people she serves – children in need – know all too well, even if they don’t always know they know it.
Archey and her organization, Shoes 4 Kids, are based out of Oak Street Chapel in Flatwoods. From there they have attempted to remedy some of those needs for several years now. Last year they were able to purchase well over 700 pairs of brand new shoes for children in need in the area. The group, which has mainly been focused on Boyd and Greenup Counties, is now looking to fill the same needs in Carter County as well.
The group works with resource officers at local schools to determine which children are in need, as well as things such as shoe sizes, so that they can meet the child’s specific needs. And the need, Archey said, is serious.
“We have seen children, during the coldest months of winter, who are wearing flip flops because that’s all they have,” Archey said. “That, or crocs and sandals.”
Working with each school, and shopping for the best deals that increase their purchasing power, the group is able to help with sometimes as many as fifty pairs of shoes per school for children who have none, or are wearing footwear that doesn’t fit or is out of season. Archey said that she has known of children wearing shoes that are several sizes too small or too big because they have been handed down from a sibling or are a castoff pair of their parents’ shoes.
“We’ve had kids with their toes scrunched up in their shoes or tell us that they are wearing their mommy’s shoes because they don’t have any,” she said. “One kid apologized because he was wearing his grandfather’s boots. And one kid was wearing a pair of steel toed work boots because that was all he had to wear.”
Shoes 4 Kids provides the child in question (whatever grade from preschool upward) with a pair of new socks and a pair of shoes that fit their feet properly. In cases where the need is extreme, the group can sometimes provide an additional pair of comfortable, well-fitting shoes. They measure the child’s foot in advance, then the group purchases new, good quality shoes that will last the child hopefully for multiple seasons, or until they outgrow them.
It is a stark reality that our area experiences need across a broad spectrum – from food insecurity to housing and clothing. Shoes 4 Kids is dedicated to remedying at least one need for as many children as possible, but of course there is a cost attached to everything. The group holds fundraisers such as a golf scramble for Greenup and Boyd Counties, and accepts donations from local government entities, churches, businesses, and individuals throughout the area.
“People might think they need to donate hundreds of dollars to make an impact, but that isn’t the case,” Archey said. “Every little bit helps when you put it all together.”
“We want to be the hands and feet of Jesus,” Archey continued. “We want this to be an outreach to these kids, though we don’t go in and preach to them.”
But helping the children, she said, lets them know that God cares about them.
Anyone interested in donating, or in having the group work with their school, should call Sherry Archey at 606-473-9974 or contact Frances Hicks at 606-922-3922. They can also reach out to 606-636-4185, or visit their Facebook Page, Shoes 4 Kids for more information.
Contact the writer at charles@cartercountytimes.com
