Providing New Shoes: A Matter of Utility and Dignity

It always feels great to get a new pair of shoes.  It gives you the feeling of a fresh start, puts a new pep in your step, and is the foundation for putting you on a new path.  Better yet, to be given a brand-new pair of shoes when yours are falling apart. Imagine the impact! Feeling like someone cares and feeling like you matter to someone. New shoes have great utility value, no doubt.  What is often overlooked is the value new shoes have on someone’s personal dignity and sense of self-worth; especially someone who is down on their luck and feeling rather hopeless.  Receiving a brand-new, high-quality pair of shoes helps to make people feel better about themselves.

Recently, Provision distributed 128 pairs of new, branded, men’s and women’s running sneakers, thanks to the generosity of a local branded footwear company, to homeless outreach organizations in Worcester and Lowell, Massachusetts, two of the lowest-income communities in the state.

Net of Compassion in Worcester provides a hot meal, supplies groceries, and gives out free clothing and footwear every Saturday on Main Street as part of their outreach effort serving homeless people, those who are drug addicted, veterans, and others. There is a dedicated tent that has everything from jackets and boots in the winter to shorts and tee shirts in the summer. As it says on their website, “When a person is homeless, having the right clothing can sometimes make the difference between life and death.” Net of Compassion provides people with good clothing and footwear for their jobs and for living without proper shelter.

Life Connection Center in Lowell strives to provide “A hot meal and a helping hand, ​it’s just what you may need to begin your road to recovery”. Life Connection Center is a place of hope in the City of Lowell. Over the past several years they have seen a growing need for the homeless community to have access to healthy, high-quality meals. They are open three days a week serving about 280 people per week and over 18,000 meals per year.  Everyone deserves to have a meal that is dignified, nutritious, and made with love. ​

Both partners share Provision’s goal of providing the best quality food and clothing to a population often overlooked; and, participating in the process of restoring dignity and hope one smile at a time.  To find out more about how corporate donations can make a difference in your community by helping others, visit our Get Involved page to learn more and Contact Us.