Imagine not having clean underwear or new, sturdy shoes to wear to school. Unfortunately, that’s the situation facing too many poor children living in the Ocala National Forest.
Friends of SoZo Kids is launching its annual Sneakers Drive to address this problem and brighten the lives of these children. A list of sneaker sizes needed for children ages 5-18 is now available at www.FriendsOfSoZoKids.com.
“I have helped collect new sneakers for SoZo Kids for several years. It’s a wonderful program,” said Karen Kretschmann, Village of Hillsborough, who is overseeing this year’s drive. “I see the need firsthand when I volunteer at the SoZo Kids after-school program. It breaks my heart to see what some of the Kids have to wear to school.”
The goal is to collect 1,000 pairs of new, quality sneakers that can withstand the rugged environment of the Forest. Preferred brands for high school Kids include Nike, Fila, Puma, Skechers and Vans.
A link for selecting items to purchase or to make cash donations can be found at www.FriendsOfSoZoKids.com. Checks, written to “Friends of SoZo Kids,” may be mailed to 333 Colony Blvd., Suite 164, The Villages 32162.
Shoes can also be dropped off between 10 a.m. and noon Saturday March 19, and again on May 14, at Oxford United Methodist Church, 3906 E. Co. Road 466, next to Wawa.
“A couple of churches have already decided to launch their own SoZo Kids Sneakers drives, and we’d love to have other churches or groups join in,” said Linda Casey, president of Friends of SoZo Kids.
In 2021, Friends of SoZo Kids collected more than 1,000 new sneakers and several hundred packs of underwear for children, plus about 400 sports bras for teen girls. These items, plus backpacks filled with school supplies and toiletries, were distributed at the SoZo Kids Back-to-School Bash in August.
The organization will launch its Underwear Drive later this spring and its School Supplies drive in early summer.
For more information, write to [email protected].