Shoe distribution planned for Langston

Samaritan’s Feet International and First Lutheran Church Hot Springs are hosting a “Back to School” shoe distribution event Saturday 9 a. m. to noon at Langston Aerospace and Environmental Magnet, 120 Chestnut St., to equip and encourage students before the new school year.

Approximately 300 identified children will receive a new pair of shoes and socks and have their feet washed by community volunteers.

The event is part of the nationwide “2015 Back to School” program from Samaritan’s Feet, with a goal of distributing more than 31,000 pairs of shoes and socks. A 2015 report shows that shoes and socks are in the “Top 10 Items Needed” by students in school.

“This event is an opportunity for the community to celebrate the importance of education with children and families that may be struggling with the financial burdens of going back to school,” Manny Ohonme, CEO and co- founder of Samaritan’s Feet International, said in a news release. “By serving recipients one- on- one and spending time encouraging them individually, each recipient will leave feeling confident and equipped for the new school year. Thank you to those willing to give back and inspire hope in kids. They are the difference makers in their community.”

Samaritan’s Feet is a nonprofit humanitarian aid organization that shares a message of hope and love through washing the feet of impoverished children around the world and adorning them with new shoes, the release said. Since its founding by Manny Ohonme in 2003, Samaritan’s Feet and its team of ambassadors and partners have assisted more than 6.5 million children in more than 75 nations.

Samaritan’s Feet partners with business leaders, churches and civic organizations across the country to implement the Back to School program each year. Events are conducted from July through October.

The program provides a framework for community collaboration to prepare students materially, physically and spiritually for the upcoming school year. In 2014, Samaritan’s Feet held 80 Back to School events across the country and distributed over 30,000 pairs of new shoes.