St. Peter student leads effort to collect shoes for needy

Savannah Simpson

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It was a news story that inspired Simpson, a St. Peter Catholic School eighth grader, to organize this charitable effort.

"I just saw it in a magazine, and I thought it was a good idea," she said.

Working with Simpson on her project are Elizabeth Angelhow, Andrew Markes and Payton Beeler, also eighth-grade students at St. Peter. Their goal is to collect 750 pairs of new and used shoes, which will then be distributed to those in need.

West Central Delivery of Marshall has offered to help transport the shoes to the charity's headquarters in Nashville, Tenn.

But, not all of the shoes will make that trip. Some will go even farther, to schoolchildren in rural Kenya. Simpson's father, John, works at Missouri Valley College, where he met Samuel Njuguna, a native of Kenya who is a founding member of the student group Together One Vision.

That organization was formed in fall 2009, and has already sent packages of school supplies to children in Kenya. Now, the group will send abroad any athletic shoes collected in Simpson's drive.

"(We) thought it was a good way of supporting the students," Njuguna said, noting that some children have very basic footwear, or none at all, to wear as they walk to school.

Shoe drop-off bins will be placed at three locations in Marshall: St. Peter Catholic Church, St. Peter Catholic School and the cafeteria at Missouri Valley College.

The collection will run from Saturday, March 20, through Sunday, April 4.

Contact Sydney Stonner at marshallbusiness@socket.net

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