Pathfinders of Oregon Provides Free Shoes to Children Through Payless Gives™ Shoes 4 Kids Program - 19 Action News|Cleveland, OH|News, Weather, Sports

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SOURCE: Pathfinders of Oregon

Grant Provides Children with New Shoes

Portland, OR (PRWEB) January 29, 2013

Forty children received new shoes through a generous grant to Pathfinders of Oregon from Payless GivesTM Shoes 4 Kids, an annual giving program from Payless ShoeSource. Pathfinders is among multiple charitable non-profit organizations representing all 50 US states, as well as Canada, Puerto Rico and 11 Latin American countries who received grants to help families buy new shoes for their children.

The scene was one of excitement and anticipation as a group of children from the Center for Family Success arrived for a shoe-shopping trip at the Payless ShoeSource store in Lloyd Center Mall in Portland, OR on January 23rd. The children enjoyed shopping for and selecting their own pair of free new shoes. Choices ranged from boots for older children to tiny tennis shoes with blinking pink and purple lights for sixteen-month-old Angela Grall.

Angela’s father, Danny Grall, appreciated the chance to do something for his daughter, commenting, “This kind of event helps parents and kids. It gives parents the chance to do something fun and good for their kids.”

Wednesday’s event was one of several shopping trips over the holidays where kids picked out new shoes. In addition to families from the Center for Family Success, young parents enrolled in the Pathfinder Academy also received vouchers for their children. In total, 100 $20 vouchers were given to families to purchase shoes for their children.

Pathfinders’ Center for Family Success is located in the Rockwood neighborhood of East Multnomah County. The Center has been providing services to families impacted by the criminal justice system since 2005. Services include helping families meet immediate needs for food and housing, parenting and early childhood support programs, employment assistance, family activities and advocacy. The Center works with families who have a parent in prison, jail or on parole or probation, helping them reunite and build successful lives.

2012 is the fifth year of the Payless GivesTM Shoes 4 Kids program. Although studies show that properly fitting shoes are important for children’s health and development, a striking number of children don’t own a pair of shoes that fit. Payless ShoeSource is working to remedy that problem here in Oregon.

About Pathfinders of Oregon

Pathfinders of Oregon is a 501(c) 3 organization whose mission is to break the cycle of criminality. Pathfinders has taught programs within the Oregon Department of Corrections for 20 years. In the community it offers programs to families impacted by the criminal justice system through its Center for Family Success in Rockwood, and operates an alternative education program for pregnant and parenting teens at its Pathfinder Academy.

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