Starting a nonprofit takes hard work and dedication. From the beginning, the new venture requires funding, volunteers, a coordinated effort to address a specific need, distribution plans to expand access and a passion to help others.
Kris Horlacher, RN, BSN, knows this process well. She founded Shoes 4 the Shoeless (S4TS) which delivers brand-new socks and gym shoes to disadvantaged children throughout 21 southwest Ohio counties.
An ER nurse by trade, Kris was managing an after-school program in the Dayton area for homeless children when she noticed many of the kids wore shoes that didn’t fit.
“I saw how damaged their feet were from wearing shoes that were too small and that is where my background kicked in,” she explains. “I started the nonprofit and here we are.”
Children who live in families who are struggling financially receive shoes and socks through an in-school delivery program. A professional staff and 50 volunteers attend each event, working one-on-one with students to measure their feet and make adjustments to ensure a proper fit. The team sets up over 2,000 pairs of brand-new gym shoes and socks in the school gym and the process begins! Over 600 volunteers participate each month.
Since its inception in 2010, S4TS has helped about 220,000 children, including children in the Greater Cincinnati area. Children who are patients at the University of Cincinnati Hospital and Cincinnati Children’s Hospital have been receiving shoes and socks for several years from S4TS, but the need continued to go unmet among children in Cincinnati-area schools.
That all changed in 2023 after a generous grant from the Farmer Family Foundation, which provided funding enabling a permanent Cincinnati office to be established under the direction of John Forde, Cincinnati Area Director, who is himself a proud graduate of Cincinnati Public Schools.
Relief was quickly provided to children in Cincinnati, but there is much more work to be done. “The need is there and it's overwhelming,” Kris says. “We need more funding and volunteers.”
S4TS acts as the first responders to an unseen trauma in children. Foot damage is prevalent and permanent. They have even seen frostbite on five children over the years from wearing inadequate shoes and socks.
“It’s one of the biggest unmet healthcare needs for children in poverty,” Kris tells us. “The work of children is to run, jump and play. When their feet hurt, they don’t want to do anything that requires movement.”
Natalie Morean is the executive director of Bigger Than Sneakers, a nonprofit offering workshops, events and mentorships to help inspire young people with career pathways in fashion, footwear, music and technology. She started volunteering with S4TS in the Cincinnati area about two years ago.
“Our job is to create a warm and welcoming environment where the students feel safe and secure enough to take off their shoes and get ready for new ones,” she shares.
Natalie emphasizes that the impact is seen immediately when kids put on new, clean, comfortable shoes for the first time.
“Something shifts,” she continues. “Their smiles are bigger, they stand a little taller, and their laughter rings a little louder. There's a sense of confidence and empowerment that comes with it, especially for students who were previously wearing shoes that were too small, full of holes or worn beyond repair. It restores dignity and builds self-esteem in a way that lasts far beyond the moment.”
The work is challenging and the hours are long, but for the team of S4TS, the effort is vital because the impact of taking on an under-addressed issue is powerful.
“Easily 70% of the kids we see have never worn shoes that fit,” she says. “The kids are overjoyed. We bring relief from pain, worry and being cold, so they run and play normally. It’s the most joyful moment to witness.”
For more information, e-mail info@shoes4theshoeless.org or visit Shoes4theShoeless.org.
“Their smiles are bigger, they stand a little taller, and their laughter rings a little louder."-Natalie Morean