Minneapolis teen organizes shoe drive to outfit families in need

250 pairs of shoes were donated to a shoe drive organized by Laces for Lives. (FOX 9)

In the walk of life, sometimes a box opens possibilities.

In this case, they open an idea from Parker Gendler, a junior at The Blake School in Minneapolis.



"Today we’re doing a shoe drop-off for our donation box that we set up in early July that lasted about two weeks," said Gendler.

Gendler organized this through a nonprofit he started called Laces 4 Lives.

"Especially for teenagers, shoes can really define haves and have nots, and wanted to give those teenagers who aren’t as fortunate and don’t have as much money to have those cool shoes that give them maybe some power and make them feel like they can do more," he said.

His goal was small, just 75 pairs. He collected 250. Those shoes are now in the hands of the Good in the Hood organization to distribute to families at their food shelves.

"If shoes are everything, we are going to have some children who are just incredibly, incredibly blessed to be able to wear that quality of shoes," said Jamie Morrison, the director of operations for Good in the Hood.

All of the shoes are going to families this month for the start of the new school year.

"We just wanted everyone to be happy and we want to keep giving shoes and more," said Gendler. "And eventually watch just everything come to life."

Gendler says this will be the first of many shoe drives he has planned.

Good in the Hood is planning shoe clinics all this month. More information is available here