Maggie Soto

Shoes impact people's lives and I learned that at a young age. It all started in Mali when I was in Kindergarten and Ammadou guarded our home. He helped me practice my French and taught me how to make traditional mint tea, all while protecting our family.

Before we moved to our next overseas post, my parents asked family and friends in the U.S. to mail shoes for us to give to Ammadou and his family. When they arrived, we packed up the shoes in the car and drove 35 miles outside of Bamako to his village. There were a few villagers that greeted us. Word in the village traveled fast that we brought shoes and the number of villagers tripled. The distribution was overseen by the village chief. At first, my brother and I were trying to fit people into shoes. Quickly, it became clear that size, shape and having the matching pair were not a priority - having soles under their feet was all that mattered.

When it was time to leave, the villagers gifted us a live chicken to express their gratitude. The short family visit to Ammadou's village had a small impact on them, but left a lasting one on me.

Fast forward to 2023, I'm walking 100 miles to support the Race4EveryKid - a program dedicated to providing shoes for the over 1.5 million children in the U.S. experiencing homelessness. For kids, something as simple as a new pair of shoes means opportunity: it raises their self-esteem, improves their school performance and attendance, and allows them to stay active through sports and general activity.

I'd be grateful for your support to reach my fundraising goal. Every $20 you're able to contribute provides a new pair of shoes to a kid in need.