2,000 kids given confidence along with their free new shoes
DALLAS, Tx. - Manny Ohonme received his first pair of shoes from a missionary when he was a 9-year-old in Nigeria.
That one pair of shoes changed his life. He started playing sports, and many shoes later, came to America on a basketball scholarship. He now runs the organization Samaritan's Feet [https://www.samaritansfeet.org/]. Together with its partners, the organization has distributed 7 million pairs of shoes in 88 countries and 325 U.S. cities.
"So don't tell me you can't change the world. One person can make a difference," Ohonme told FOX 4.
Recently a dozen North Texas churches hosted an event with Samaritan's Feet at St. Philips School in Dallas. Over 200 volunteers washed the feet of 2,000 Dallas children before giving them some new shoes and socks.
"Some of these children haven't had new shoes in six months, a year, two years. Some children are walking around with shoes three sizes too small," explained project coordinator Damita Jo Crosby.
But volunteers weren't only asking them their shoe sizes. They asked them about their goals in life.
"He was talking to me about what do I want to be when I grow up? I said I want to be a math teacher because I like math that's my favorite subject. I believe I could be a community helper too," said 9-year-old Jahzara Walls.
Watch the video to see the difference a pair of shoes make.