I teach English language arts and the humanities in the Appalachian area of eastern Kentucky. My students work hard, but their opportunities are limited by poverty and our rural location. Many come from single-parent households or live with elderly grandparents, and school may be the brightest light in their lives. The median household income is $22,000, and the poverty rate is just under 40%. Despite poverty, my students are among the most intelligent, talented, and capable students anywhere.
My students do not have the necessities often taken for granted, and as I've been working with our school's Youth Service Director to deliver hoodies and hats from my last DonorsChoose project, I've discovered that many of them do not have shoes appropriate for winter.
Shabby and poorly fitting shoes are bearable in the summer months, but winters here are wet and cold, and I'd like my students to have better than canvas tennis shoes as winter approaches.
My Project
Home visits have shown that many of our students do not have shoes appropriate for winter. They spend significant time outdoors, carrying wood and coal, hunting, or just playing around because there's not a lot of other recreation. Cold, wet feet are more than uncomfortable, they pose a health risk as well.
We've seen students in canvas tennis shoes with holes, worn boots several sizes too large, even shoes taped together with silver duct tape, and we want to give them one pair of good fitting, warm and dry boots for the cold and wet east Kentucky winters.
I've broken our shoe project into two, one for girls and one for boys, and I sincerely hope each project is funded.
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As a teacher-founded nonprofit, we're trusted by thousands of teachers and supporters across the country. This classroom request for funding was created by Mrs. Creech and reviewed by the DonorsChoose team.