Christmas Shoes began in 1996, in loving memory of my father, Kenneth P. He grew up in the mill village, which at one point
in time was a very impoverished area of Greer, South Carolina. He was raised in difficult circumstances with "hand me down" shoes and
very few personal possessions to call his own. As a child he never owned a new pair of shoes, and he often remembered sharing shoes
that no
longer fit and contained holes with his four siblings. When I had children of my own, my father reiterated to me how important it was to him that his grandchildren always have a new pair
of shoes when they needed them. In fact the first thing my father ever bought for her firstborn was something he
never had himself, a brand new pair of blue and red tennis shoes. My father's life was cut short at the young age of 54, when my oldest child was only 6 years old. For six years his face would light up every time he gave one of his grandchildren a new pair of shoes. Not only was he proud that his grandchildren got to have the new shoes he never could, but he was also so grateful for the ability to provide them. His servant heart and humble beginnings made him a man to be revered and always remembered. This organization was started to honor my dad and carry on his enduring love and concern for children who grew up like
he did. Christmas Shoes is something he would be truly proud of and I hope to continue to make him proud by providing a new pair of shoes to every child this organization has the honor of helping.
