Pocahontas Family Resource Network Launches Walk a Mile in My Shoes Campaign

Marlinton, WV – Hiking, playing ball, swimming, enjoying the outside on the go; go; go…Camp Horseshoe has it all. But some of the campers aren’t equipped for the rigors of camp. One primary deficiency is simply shoes. Laura Young, Executive Director of the Family Resource Network of Pocahontas County explains.

“One of the biggest needs that Camp Horseshoe finds that they have every year is shoes for children” says Laura. “You wouldn’t believe how many children roll off that school bus with a pair of flip flops on and they think that they can hike and do things in the woods in a pair of flip flops.”

Camp Horseshoe, located in Parsons, WV, is a summer camp for children from low income families, including kids from Pocahontas County. Laura says the camp tries to maintain a stock of boys and girls shoes in various sizes. But since the kids get to keep those shoes, the Camp’s supplies need to be constantly replenished. The FRN has come up with the “Walk a Mile in My Shoes Campaign” to help raise awareness of this chronic problem. They’re asking for donations of boys or girls shoes. But they don’t expect you to run out and buy a pair of shoes to donate.

“We always open to gently used items as long as they’re clean and in good shape, and of course new shoes are always welcome” she says.

Laura says that shoes are the primary focus of this campaign but there is also a need for other things that they would greatly appreciate.

“Socks and underwear and T-shirts” says Laura “many of the kids that come to Camp Horseshoe are there to stay the entire week and they’ll just have one little backpack with T-shirts and things in it. So it’s kind of important that they have a stockpile of that stuff.”

Laura also says that Camp Horseshoe tries to identify kids that don’t have a backpack to take back to school in the fall. If they can, they provide the kids with a back pack that also includes the types of supplies that the kids will need for school – things like crayons, scissors and other basic school supplies. If you have any of these items, and you’d like to help, Laura says donating is easy.

“Bring it by the FRN Office which is located in the Board of Education Building in Marlinton” she says. “You can drop things off at any County Library, City National Bank or the Snowshoe Career Center.”

To find out what else the Family Resource Network of Pocahontas County is doing in the community and how you can help, contact Laura Young at 304-799-6657, or stop by their office on 5th Avenue in Marlinton.