Hundreds of shoes were given away to families during a third annual event held Saturday, organized by a Fresno church and its pastor who saw a need.
While working as an aide and campus safety officer at Bullard High three years ago, Assistant Pastor Edward Thomas saw that some kids did not have appropriate footwear.
So he asked his church, Living World International Church of Fresno, to join him in creating “Kick it Outreach.”
Thomas said the first two pairs of shoes he donated were from his own closet. This year, with help from social media, Thomas said he collected 400 to 500 pairs of shoes to be given away to boys and girls from preschool through high school around the Central Valley.
Dozens of families waited in line as early as 7am at Saturday’s event held at Cary Park in central Fresno.
Thomas noted that with the COVID-19 pandemic, families are even more in need of assistance.
“It means a lot,” said Fresno mother Angela Holley, who was able to get shoes for her kids Edward Harding, 7, and Jeffrey Batten, 11, at the event. “It means that we could pay another bill and not have to worry about taking the money to spend on school shoes or school supplies.
“We could use that money for things like food and other types of assistance that families need.”
Thomas said there were no qualifications for receiving shoes.
“We want to donate to everyone,” Thomas said, adding that another batch of shoes collected will be donated to area homeless.
Living World International Church partnered with the Fresno Police Activities League, the Fresno Chamber of Commerce, and Fresno City Councilmember Tyler Maxwell for the event. Backpacks, school supplies, snacks and free ice cream from Scoops Ice Cream were also provided.
“Something like this,” Thomas said, “shows you that when we all come together, amazing things happen.”
Volunteers check shoe sizes while giving out shoes to families at Cary Park in Fresno during the Community Kick it Outreach shoe giveaway on Saturday, Aug. 7, 2021. CRAIG KOHLRUSS ckohlruss@fresnobee.com
Families wait in line at Cary Park in Fresno before the start of the Community Kick it Outreach shoe giveaway on Saturday, Aug. 7, 2021. This is the fourth annual shoe giveaway organized by Pastor Edward Thomas of Living World International Church in Fresno to provide footwear for families in need before the start of the school year. CRAIG KOHLRUSS ckohlruss@fresnobee.com
Donated shoes sit on bleacher seats at the Community Kick it Outreach shoe giveaway on Saturday, Aug. 7, 2021. CRAIG KOHLRUSS ckohlruss@fresnobee.com
Pastor Edward Thomas, right, helps locate shoes for families at Cary Park in Fresno during the Community Kick it Outreach shoe giveaway on Saturday, Aug. 7, 2021. Thomas started the shoe giveaway with his church Living World International Church in Fresno three years ago. CRAIG KOHLRUSS ckohlruss@fresnobee.com
Savanah Lara, 4, checks out the shoes being given away at Cary Park in Fresno during the Community Kick it Outreach shoe giveaway on Saturday, Aug. 7, 2021. This is the fourth annual she giveaway organized by Pastor Edward Thomas of Living World International Church in Fresno to provide footwear for families in need before the start of the school year. CRAIG KOHLRUSS ckohlruss@fresnobee.com
Pastor Edward Thomas checks shoe sizes while giving out shoes to families at Cary Park in Fresno during the Community Kick it Outreach shoe giveaway on Saturday, Aug. 7, 2021. Thomas started the shoe giveaway with his church Living World International Church in Fresno three years ago. CRAIG KOHLRUSS ckohlruss@fresnobee.com
Brothers Jeffrey Batten, right, 11, and Edward Harding, 7, both of Fresno pack their new shoes into new backpacks at Cary Park in Fresno during the Community Kick it Outreach shoe giveaway on Saturday, Aug. 7, 2021. This is the fourth annual she giveaway organized by Pastor Edward Thomas of Living World International Church in Fresno to provide footwear for families in need before the start of the school year. Donated backpacks and school supplies were also giving out. CRAIG KOHLRUSS ckohlruss@fresnobee.com
Craig Kohlruss is a photographer, videographer and drone pilot for The Fresno Bee. He has been a part of The Bee’s visual team since 1999. His work has been recognized by the California News Publishers Association, the National Press Photographers Association, the California Press Photographers Association and other journalism organizations. Support my work with a digital subscription
