LIFE’s beloved Christmas Shoe Project is a picture of genuine joy. It is giving the gift of new shoes to a child in need. It is a beautiful expression of the Father’s Heart.
At Christmastime, new shoes are about more than the fight for survival; we want to show children in need that life is also about experiencing joy. That’s why we say, “Christmas joy comes in pairs!” Sharing the gift of new shoes with a child who has never owned a new pair – or perhaps never even worn shoes – is a moment of pure joy.
Some of the children in need of shoes live near garbage dumps. They scavenge for food and items to sell. They walk over trash and broken glass, risking cuts, infection, disease and, in rare cases, complications that lead to death. Other shoeless children in need are forced to navigate treacherous terrain in search of water sources or cross hot, burning sands in desert regions – all without the protection of shoes.
For a poverty-stricken child in an underdeveloped nation, even the smallest cut on one foot can be devastating, allowing infection or disease to enter their small bodies. Tragically, some are crippled for life because of injuries to their tender feet as children.
LIFE’s Christmas Shoes not only give joy to children – they save lives. LIFE distributes comfortable, durable, all-terrain shoes that come in all sizes for children of different ages, saving each child who receives a pair of shoes from an untold number of cuts, bruises, infections, diseases, and difficulties.
In this, the 14th year of LIFE’s Christmas Shoe Project, the cost to manufacture, supply and deliver each pair of shoes is $3.60. With an overall project goal of 150,000 pairs, an additional $540,000 above LIFE’s other ministry and mission commitments is needed.
Thank God that such a simple idea – sturdy, durable shoes – has had such a significant and life-changing impact on the health and well-being of children in need around the world.
This year, as we distribute 150,000 more pairs of shoes, we are thankful for your support in spreading the Good News of Jesus’ love through the gift of new Christmas Shoes!