We strive to never let a single child go without. It is an item that is often taken for granted, yet thousands of children in the United States are forced to wear shoes that don’t properly fit, are falling apart, or go barefoot altogether. Dozens of medical studies over the years have linked a lack of proper footwear to a decrease in school attendance, health, and even self-esteem among peers. As
an elementary school student, Orlie experienced firsthand what it was like to repair his shoes with cardboard due to his family’s lack of finances. When he became a father himself, he bought his two boys, Alex and Philip, a pair of new tennis shoes every year at Christmas as a reminder of where he came from and what he stood for. Founded by Orlie’s family, we now carry on his legacy of reaching children similar to him as a little boy through Orlie’s Shoe Drive, in hopes that children across the country can be proud of the shoes they wear and know the true meaning of Christmas. Thanks to generous businesses, local volunteers, and individual donations our holiday distribution has grown exponentially over the last three years and has had a positive impact on our Kern County community. We have partnered with a local bus ministry that reaches children in the Oildale area and with the Bakersfield Homeless Shelter to distribute shoes to those spending their holidays at the shelter. We would love for you to partner with us and help us reach even more areas of the community and brighten the holidays, one shoe at a time.
