For millions of vulnerable children around the world, a pair of shoes can mean far more than having something new to wear. It can mean the difference between going to school and staying home, between greater protection from disease and continued exposure, and even between feeling forgotten and knowing someone cares.
That’s why FaithFi is partnering with Buckner Shoes for Orphan Souls throughout September, a ministry of Buckner International, to help provide new shoes and socks to children in need around the world.
Shawn Spurrier, Director of Buckner Shoes for Orphan Souls, joined the show today to explain why something as ordinary as a pair of shoes can have such an extraordinary impact.
Removing a Barrier to Education
For most families in the United States, buying shoes is simply part of getting children ready for school. But in many parts of the world, adequate footwear is required to attend class.
According to Spurrier, an estimated 300 million children worldwide lack access to adequate footwear, and tens of millions may miss school as a result. In many countries, children cannot attend school without shoes.
That makes a pair of shoes more than a practical gift. It can help remove a barrier to education and give a child greater opportunity to rise above poverty.
Shoes also provide important protection from cuts, injuries, parasites, and footborne diseases. For children living in vulnerable communities, those protections can make a meaningful difference in their health and daily lives.
Health, Dignity, and the Love of Christ
The impact goes beyond education and physical health.
When children receive new shoes, they may also gain a greater sense of dignity and confidence. Proper footwear can help reduce some of the social stigma children experience because of poverty or illness.
Most importantly, Buckner sees every pair of shoes as an opportunity to communicate Christ's love.
Since 1999, Buckner Shoes for Orphan Souls has collected and distributed approximately 5.25 million pairs of shoes in 86 countries. Today, Buckner maintains programming in the United States and several countries throughout Latin America and Africa, including Mexico, Guatemala, Honduras, the Dominican Republic, Peru, Kenya, and Ethiopia.
A pair of shoes may seem like a small piece of a much larger effort to strengthen vulnerable families. But small acts of generosity can open doors to deeper relationships and lasting transformation.
When a Pair of Shoes Says, “You Are Not Forgotten”
Spurrier shared the story of a young girl named Romina, whom Buckner served near Oaxaca, Mexico.
Romina was about six years old when she attended a shoe distribution at one of Buckner’s Family Hope Centers. During the distribution, volunteers washed her feet, talked with her, and reminded her that God loved her and cared for her.
As Romina received her new shoes, she began to cry.
At first, Spurrier wondered if something was wrong. But a Buckner family coach explained that Romina was simply overwhelmed that someone had thought enough of her to give her a new pair of shoes.
The story didn’t end with the distribution.
Romina’s family became connected with the local Family Hope Center and embraced the support offered there. Over time, their circumstances changed. Romina, once shy and anxious, became a leader in her after-school programs, reaching out to children who felt excluded and even praying with other students. Her family eventually reached greater economic and spiritual stability and began volunteering with Buckner to
