A man named Logan, young and homeless, sat in front of a local grocery store. He wore a soiled coat and worn tennis shoes.
Logan is tall, stocky, and has a beard. He looks like my son. I told Logan (not his real name) about our shoe drive. Since tennis shoes and low-priced boots can wear out in less than a month, he’d been looking for a pair of sturdy, size 13 winter boots in second-hand stores, to no avail. I told him that someone might donate what he needs.
Logan’s been on the streets, crisscrossing the country, since he was 16. He had a black eye; he’d been recently attacked by an older man who was drunk and out of control. When Logan told me he struggled with deep depression, his eyes filled with tears. He’s not alone. So many people who live on the streets suffer from some form of mental illness.
I asked: “If you could have anything in your life, what would you want?” He gave me a blank look and shook his head. He said he just doesn’t hope anymore — he’d rather be surprised than disappointed. Yet he told me he’s a musician and artist, and has pursued that kind of work.
If Logan hasn’t yet moved on, he is currently living on the edge of town, sometimes sleeping in a large concrete drain pipe which in the springtime empties into a nearby canal. But now it gives him some protection from the cold and snow.
So many adults who are homeless were abandoned as children. They grow up not knowing the steady, loyal kind of love that good parents offer. These almost-broken, children-turned-adults often don’t know how to “do life”. They may not know there are people with the resources to help them take steps toward a better future.
Later that day, I told a friend about Logan. She raised three sons, and immediately said, “I’ll buy Logan a pair of boots.” She spent $200 on a pair of the best winter boots she could find, size 13, along with two pairs of warm woolen socks — just as she would have gifted one of her sons. So in regards to this immediate need, Logan wasn’t disappointed. And he was very grateful.
As I sort the donations from our Shoes for the Holidays campaign, it’s great to see all the pairs of shoes and socks with the tags still on them: shiny, tiny baby shoes; shoes that light up when a child walks; fancy, high top sneakers; practical, yet attractive heels to boost a woman’s spirits; and men’s warm, waterproof boots.
A woman with four grandchildren took them shopping and each child picked out a pair of new winter boots in their own style and size to donate. We all agreed that these boots will make four other little children very happy! Here in the Fort Collins and Loveland school districts, the need is staggering. At least once this school year, 1745 school children will experience homelessness (McKinney-Vento data). We want to help as many as we can.
I keep thinking about Logan, the man who looks so much like my son. Logan is somebody’s son, and the woman on the next street corner begging for money is somebody’s daughter.
The Shoes for the Holidays shoe and sock drive ends on Christmas Day. Yet the sponsors, Dr. James and Adriann Anderson, Doug and Michelle Baldwin, Cindy Corbett and myself, have decided to extend our campaign one more week, until New Year’s Day, and we have a request.
For one week, please pretend that “somebody’s son” and “somebody’s daughter” is your own. Buy them any type or size of new shoes and socks — the nicest you can afford — and bring them to us. Working together with well-respected, local outreaches, we’ll make sure they get onto the feet of those who need them.
And perhaps, with each and every step these men, women and children take into their New Year, they’ll be reminded of the kindness of those who wish them well, and are willing to offer these simple, yet very important gifts.
Note: Due to the generous donations of children and adults throughout Northern Colorado, the 30th Annual Shoes for the Holidays campaign collected more than 4,000 pairs of new and gently-used shoes and 2,900 pairs of socks.