Shoe Buddy provides children with free shoes

At the end of July, Shoe Buddy helped 186 children find a new pair of shoes for school at no cost.

Founder Melveene Dixon wasn’t able to do as much this year because of her health, and she said the effort would not have been possible without her son and grandchildren and the Waxahachie Junior Service League, which provided many volunteers and donations.

Shoe Buddy partners with local children’s homes and local nonprofits like Waxahachie Care and CASA. Dixon said the organizations provide her with the number of children who need new shoes, and she provides them with vouchers.

Children and their parents visit Famous Footwear during the shoe distribution week, choose a pair of shoes up to $75 in value, and present their voucher for payment. Shoe Buddy volunteers are located throughout the store to help them with the entire process.

Going forward, Dixon’s son and grandchildren will be taking over the main responsibilities of Shoe Buddy, which include fundraising and organizing shoe distribution, and she is “thrilled” they want to keep it going.

“I’m not backing out,” Dixon said. “I’ll have my finger in the pie as long as I’m around.”

She founded Shoe Buddy in 2010 to honor the memory of her father, Buddy Gibson, who spoke often of his desire to provide children in need with a pair of shoes that fits.

She reached out to two men in her Sunday School class at First Baptist Church and asked if they would help her. Jim Jordan and David Carroll agreed, and Shoe Buddy was born.

During their first year, they provided 25 children with new shoes. Dixon said they went to Common Ground Ministries, measured the children’s feet and returned with a pair of shoes.

Dixon said there are more children in school with shoes that do not fit than most people realize. She recalled many moments over the past few years where children or their parents did not understand the shoes were free, and it brought tears to their eyes.

Once, a mom and son came into the store with a voucher and tried on shoes. He walked around the store with a huge smile on his face, and soon, his mom told him to take them off and that it was time for them to leave. A Shoe Buddy volunteer stopped them and explained that they did not need to take them off and they could take them home. Dixon said the mom and son were shocked and left the store crying because “they were so thrilled.”

To volunteer or learn more about Shoe Buddy, call Dixon at 972-938-6976. To donate, checks can be made out to Shoe Buddy and mailed to 107 Cattail Court, Waxahachie, TX 75165.

Originally published September 7, 2022 - https://www.waxahachiesun.com/arts_and_entertainment/shoe-buddy-provides-children-with-free-shoes/article_20a0c226-2eca-11ed-8d8a-dfec38d489e9.html