First Graders' Thoughts on Volunteering with Shoes for Orphan Souls

The five first grade classes at Mockingbird Elementary School in Coppell, Texas, held a school-wide shoe drive at the end of 2011 as a project-based learning experience. They made public service announcements at school, created posters to advertise, and counted, sorted and graphed the 168 pairs of shoes and 402 pairs of socks they collected.

When their drive ended, all five classes took a field trip to the Shoes for Orphan Souls warehouse to see where their shoes would go and to learn how to process shoes for shipment. They learned a lot and had plenty to say about their experience:

What was the most interesting thing you learned when you volunteered at the warehouse?

“The most interesting thing I learned was how many people in our world need shoes. The warehouse was so big and there were LOTS of shoes!” Asher Johnson, Mrs. Taylor’s class

“That so many kids and grownups don’t have clothes.” Dalai Biju, Mrs. Sumrall’s class

“Some people don’t have enough money to get all the things they need.” Rakshaa Potaraju, Mrs. Sumrall’s class

Why is it important for kids to wear shoes?
“It is important for kids to wear shoes because when you don’t have shoes your feet will get hurt. When kids have shoes they can go to school and have hope for their future!” Akshita Yadavalli, Mrs. Taylor’s class

“So they can go to school and learn.” Julia Balazy, Mrs. Sumrall’s class

“So they don’t get blisters.” Jordan Ashby, Mrs. Sumrall’s class

“When kids don’t wear shoes their feet could burn. Their feet will get hurt like a bad cut. That happens because they don’t have any shoes on.” Lillian Tran, Mrs. Taylor’s class

“So they don’t get sick or glass in their feet.” Andrew Schultz, Mrs. Sumrall’s class

How will the kids feel when they get their new shoes?
“They’ll get really, really happy.” Carter Kincaid, Mrs. Sumrall’s class

“They will feel loved.” Luis Badillo, Mrs. Sumrall’s class

“I think kids will feel excited when they get their shoes!” Jia Rosenbaum, Mrs. Taylor’s class

“When the kids get their shoes they will jump up and down and say ‘YEA!’” Brandon Wenzel Mrs. Taylor’s class.

What can kids do when they have their new shoes that they couldn’t do before?
“Go to school.” Rolen Glover, Mrs. Sumrall’s class

“They can play without their feet getting hurt.” Lauren Castle, Mrs. Sumrall’s class

“When kids have shoes on, they can go on bumpy roads, run, walk on sticky places, step on wood chip and not get hurt!” Trinity Hunt, Mrs. Taylor’s class

What did you like most about being a volunteer?
“Putting the rubber bands around the shoes.” Josephine Liew, Mrs. Sumrall’s class

“We got to write notes and put them in the shoes.” Rakshaa Potaraju, Mrs. Sumrall’s class

“I wrote a note to put in the shoes. My note said ‘I hope you like your shoes!’” Shreenaya Prabu Mrs. Taylor’s class

“The best part about working at the warehouse was wrapping up the shoes in a rubber band—I still remember how to do it!!” Alexander Chaar Mrs. Taylor’s class

Thank you to Mrs. Sumrall's class, Mrs. Taylor's class, Mrs. Javier's class, Mrs. Thorn's class and Mrs. Johnson's class for helping bring hope to orphans and vulnerable children around the world!



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