Fort Smith Church Giving 920 Kids Free Shoes for School

Getting kids ready for school just got easier for nearly a thousand Arkansas families.

Fort Smith First United Methodist Church will distribute 920 shoe vouchers to students this Saturday at their sixth annual Back to School Bash. The vouchers are $25 gift cards that let kids choose their own shoes at local stores.

"This is the most that we have been able to give away and we are very excited for it," said Ashley McNeal, children's minister at the church. The event runs from 9 a.m. to noon at the church's family life center on North 16th Street.

The church partnered with Good Samaritan Clinic four years ago to expand what started as a simple backpack drive. Each year they've added more services, transforming it into a one-stop shop for back to school needs.

This year's bash includes free haircuts, vision screenings, and sports physicals. For families who typically pay between $150 and $160 for these physicals at local clinics, the savings are significant.

McNeal explained why they chose gift cards over traditional shoe donations. Moving hundreds of shoes in different sizes creates logistical challenges, but more importantly, kids deserve a say in what they wear. "They get a choice, they get to go shopping and they get that freedom to decide," she said.

Volunteer physicians from the clinic team up with medical students from the Arkansas College of Osteopathic Medicine to provide the physicals. Patti Irwin, CEO of Good Samaritan Clinic, said combining forces made both organizations more effective.

"Being downtown neighbors for such a long time we said we could probably do this bigger and better together and expand it, and we did," Irwin explained. What started as separate events has grown into something that reaches more families every year.

The Ripple Effect

The partnership between the church and clinic shows how two organizations can multiply their impact by working together. From giving out backpacks in 2021 to now providing nearly a thousand shoe vouchers plus medical services, the event has grown because both groups focused on what their community truly needed.

Other Arkansas communities are following suit with their own back to school events, creating a wave of support for families across the region.

Fort Smith families now have one less worry as the school year approaches.