Mrs. Lewis, Shoe Carnival help kids in need get ready for school

This morning, thanks to Mrs. Lewis and the team at the Lafayette Road Shoe Carnival, nearly 120 kids from The Salvation Army’s Summer Day Camp programs in Indy got the tools they’ll need to start school on the right foot.

According to Huntington Bank’s 2010 Backpack Index, the average cost for a family to send a child to elementary school (with all the school recommended supplies and necessary clothing) is about $475. With the first days of school quickly approaching, parents are no doubt feeling the pressure of providing new shoes, back packs and school supplies. But, thanks to the generosity of long time Salvation Army donor, Mrs. Laura Lewis, 120 children are set to go.

School 79 gets back to school boost

Huntington helps kids in need start school with the right tools

Huntington's President Mike Newbold and Major Dick Amick team up to get backpacks to kids in need in time for school.

Thanks to our friends at Huntington Bank, hundreds of children will have the tools they need to start school next week. Huntington’s President, Mike Newbold, presented 450 backpacks and supplies to Major Amick this morning. He shared, “Huntington is committed to helping families save, budget and spend wisely, but we wanted to do more. We’re proud to say we have 1,000 backpacks and school supplies to give here in Indianapolis.”

Huntington teamed up with Big Lots and Meijer to set a goal to help 100,000 children in need in the communities they serve. Major Amick proudly accepted the backpacks saying, “Certainly as parents are struggling to provide housing and necessities, school supplies slip down the list of priorities. It’s our challenge and our priviledge to come alongside them and give them encouragement. These backpacks will do just that for hundreds of families and we couldn’t do that without our partners at Huntington Bank.” Read more

240 feet

About 120 kids will start school on a better foot this year thanks to one kind donor and our friends at Shoe Carnival.

This year marked the third time Laura Lewis made certain that the kids who participate in our summer day camps set off to school in style. And our friends at the Lafayette & I-65 Shoe Carnival store gave her a place to put that generosity to work. The staff opened their doors early for us so our volunteers could spend a little time with each child as he/she picked out a new pair of shoes, socks, and a brand new backpack filled with school supplies.

We’re so grateful to Mrs. Lewis for her generosity towards these kids. And a special thanks to Shoe Carnival for their willingness to open early and partner with us on this unique program.

If you’d like to volunteer for a Salvation Army program that helps area children in need, email Elizabeth and get involved. Or, if you, like Mrs. Lewis, want to put your generosity in our hands to serve those who need it most, you can make an online donation right now.