What can a new pair of shoes change? For a child experiencing homelessness, it can mean comfort, confidence, belonging and the freedom to participate fully in school and everyday life.
In this heartfelt episode of So Much More, host Jill Renslow talks with Theresa Miller, Vice President of Development for Soles4Souls, and Kevin Holmes, evening news anchor at KARE 11 and a passionate sneakerhead who understands firsthand the difference the right shoes can make. They share powerful stories about students whose lives have been changed by something many of us take for granted.
You’ll also hear how Soles4Souls and Mall of America are working together through the Level Up for Every Kid campaign. Their partnership has already helped provide new shoes to approximately 7,300 local children, with the goal of reaching all 10,000 Twin Cities students experiencing homelessness.
Sometimes a small step can open the door to a world of possibility.
1:15 The mission behind Soles4Souls a global nonprofit organization with local impact
2:30 The ‘for every kid’ program, a story about Lila (you must hear this)
3:45 Level Up day at Mall of America, raising awareness and money
8:15 Private shoe gifting for kids that need a good pair of shoes
13:45 Partners that make this program possible locally
16:45 How companies, donors and volunteers can get involved
19:30 Understanding the impact a new pair of shoes can have on kids and their family
Visit: www.soles4souls.org
Visit: www.kare11.com
Guests: Theresa Miller, Vice President of Soles4Souls; Kevin Holmes, anchor at KARE 11
Hosts: Jill Renslow
Presented by Bloomington Minnesota Travel and Tourism the official destination marketing organization for the city of Bloomington, Minn.
00:00 --> 00:04 Mall of America. It's home to world-class shopping, great dining,
00:04 --> 00:07 and amazing attractions and events. And these are our stories
00:08 --> 00:10 presented by Bloomington, Minnesota Travel and Tourism.
00:11 --> 00:14 Hello, Mall of America fans, and welcome to this episode of So Much More.
00:14 --> 00:18 I'm your host, Jill Renslow, for this very special episode because we are highlighting
00:18 --> 00:21 a partner who really means a lot to us and has been a great partner
00:22 --> 00:25 over the years. They help students across the Twin Cities start the school year with
00:25 --> 00:30 greater comfort, confidence, and dignity. Mall of America and Souls4Souls
00:30 --> 00:33 has teamed up for Level Up, for Every Kid campaign with the goal of
00:33 --> 00:36 providing new shoes for 10
00:37 --> 00:41 students experiencing homelessness. Join me today with Theresa Miller, who's the Vice
00:41 --> 00:44 President of Development for Soles4Souls, and Kevin Holmes,
00:44 --> 00:48 who's the evening news anchor for KARE 11 right here in Minnesota, who has
00:48 --> 00:53 become really personally and passionately involved in helping move this effort forward.
00:53 --> 00:56 We're gonna talk about the mission behind Soles4Souls, why something as
00:56 --> 01:00 basic as a new pair of shoes can have such a meaningful impact,
01:00 --> 01:04 and how our community can help that campaign reach its goal each
01:04 --> 01:07 and every year. So Theresa and Kevin, welcome to So Much More. We're so glad
01:08 --> 01:11 to have you guys here. So we're just gonna kick this right off. Theresa,
01:11 --> 01:15 we would love to learn more about Souls4Souls. What's the mission? And just explain what
01:15 --> 01:18 this organization's all about. Yeah, well, thanks for having us.
01:18 --> 01:22 Souls4Souls is a global nonprofit organization, and we exist to create
01:23 --> 01:26 opportunity for people through shoes and clothing. And we do that in a number
01:26 --> 01:30 of different ways all around the world, and particularly here in
01:30 --> 01:33 the Twin Cities through our 4 Every Kid program, we're providing brand new
01:33 --> 01:37 athletic shoes to kids experiencing homelessness. I love that. And how did
01:37 --> 01:42 you get involved with the organization? I got involved 4 years ago with
01:42 --> 01:46 Soles4Souls right after we launched the For Every Kid program. Prior to that,
01:46 --> 01:49 as an organization, we did not have to rely very heavily
01:49 --> 01:53 on philanthropy. We had other ways to generate revenue.
01:53 --> 01:57 And with the For Every Kid program, because we are purchasing these shoes for kids
01:57 --> 02:01 at about $20 a pair, we really needed to start ramping up our philanthropic
02:01 --> 02:05 efforts. So I joined the team to start building relationships within individuals and foundations
02:05 --> 02:09 and just incredible organizations like Mall of America to raise funds to
02:09 --> 02:12 be able to provide the shoes to the kids that we serve. Would you mind
02:13 --> 02:16 sharing the story that you shared with our team when
02:16 --> 02:20 you came a few months ago? We were kicking this off with our team and
02:20 --> 02:23 with our tenants to explain the importance of this organization. I love the story about
02:24 --> 02:27 the young girl. So how the For Every Kid program came about is because
02:28 --> 02:31 our partner in Nashville, where we're headquartered, Metro Nashville
02:31 --> 02:34 Public Schools, came to us and shared a story about a little girl named Lila.
02:34 --> 02:38 So Lila was coming to school every day wearing one pink cowboy boot
02:38 --> 02:41 on one foot and one pink flip-flop on the other.
02:42 --> 02:45 And she had been moving from location to location and
02:46 --> 02:50 just, that's all she had. And when Lila came to school, she was bullied
02:50 --> 02:54 and teased. She couldn't fully participate in recess or other activities,
02:54 --> 02:57 and she wasn't fully engaged in the classroom. And so they came to us because
02:57 --> 03:01 we had been, you know, providing shoes to people for years and
03:01 --> 03:04 said, can you help? And absolutely, we were able to get a pair of shoes
03:05 --> 03:08 for Lila. But through that conversation, what we learned is there are 1.4 million kids
03:09 --> 03:12 across the US, almost 10 here in the Twin Cities,
03:12 --> 03:15 that are identified as experiencing homelessness. And 80% of
03:16 --> 03:19 those kids tell us that shoes are one of their biggest needs. So at that
03:19 --> 03:22 point, we said, we can, we can do this. We can help solve this problem.
03:22 --> 03:26 We can provide shoes to kids. And that's when the For Every Kid program was
03:26 --> 03:29 born. I love that. So talk a little bit about that program because it was
03:29 --> 03:33 recently hosted here at Mall of America and really a chance for the
03:33 --> 03:37 public to learn more about Souls for Souls. Yeah, we're so excited
03:37 --> 03:40 about our partnership with Mall of America on the Level Up campaign. And the whole
03:40 --> 03:44 purpose of this campaign is to generate awareness of the work that we're doing here
03:45 --> 03:48 in the Twin Cities. We're working with a number of local public school districts
03:48 --> 03:52 to provide these shoes for kids throughout the year. And so the Level Up
03:52 --> 03:55 campaign started with the field day, which was held in the rotunda. Super fun.
03:55 --> 03:59 Kevin was there hula hooping and dancing with the DJ.
03:59 --> 04:01 It was so much fun. I love that. I think we need to cut to
04:01 --> 04:05 some video of that. And it was all just to
04:05 --> 04:09 build awareness and get people involved and engaged. And we had all the fun activities,
04:09 --> 04:12 the basketball and the hockey and, you know, shoe tying
04:12 --> 04:16 contest and all the things. And people also had the opportunity
04:16 --> 04:21 to donate. As I mentioned, $20 is all it costs us from factory
04:21 --> 04:24 to foot to get a pair of shoes on a kid's foot. So we had
04:25 --> 04:28 lots of people donate, lots of people become aware. And then throughout the last couple
04:28 --> 04:32 of months, a number of tenants have been involved with sponsorships and other things so
04:32 --> 04:35 that tomorrow we're gonna give shoes to 500 local students here,
04:35 --> 04:38 right here at the Mall of America. That is so great. So Kevin, be on
04:38 --> 04:42 hula hooping. Um, your day job, or night
04:42 --> 04:45 job I should say, is at KARE 11. Welcome to the Marketplace. You've been here
04:46 --> 04:49 now for a little while. Yeah, 5 months. That's fantastic. So we love having you
04:50 --> 04:53 here. Huge KARE 11 fan. So appreciate you being here and, um,
04:53 --> 04:57 appreciate your support for this organization. Um, I know that before
04:57 --> 05:00 you came to Minnesota, this was a passion of yours to help with putting shoes
05:00 --> 05:04 on kids. So talk a little bit about your background of how you got involved
05:04 --> 05:07 in this early on and then how you got hooked up with Souls for Souls?
05:08 --> 05:11 Well, I was once that kid. You know, I'm a product of the Chicago Public
05:12 --> 05:16 Schools, grew up on the South Side of Chicago, especially during the Michael Jordan
05:16 --> 05:19 era. And, you know, sneakers, shoes were everything.
05:20 --> 05:24 I was once that kid who was bullied. And, you know, I oftentimes
05:24 --> 05:27 tried to bully back, which sometimes
05:27 --> 05:31 resulted in fights, a few suspensions. And I know
05:31 --> 05:35 what a pair of shoes can do for a kid's self-esteem. So realizing
05:35 --> 05:39 that, realizing my platform, realizing my means,
05:39 --> 05:42 I try to give back with something that I'm so passionate about.
05:43 --> 05:47 As a resident sneakerhead, I really know the
05:47 --> 05:50 impact that can have on a kid. And that's something that I started in Kansas
05:51 --> 05:54 City with my platform during my last 5 years there.
05:56 --> 05:59 With the help of the community, raised nearly half a million dollars,
05:59 --> 06:02 gave out about 6 pairs of shoes, teaming up with some nonprofits
06:03 --> 06:06 there. And Quickly learned about the mission of
06:06 --> 06:09 Sole 4 Souls after meeting with some folks here at Mall of America,
06:09 --> 06:12 actually. So they helped kind of make that bridge.
06:13 --> 06:16 And I've been just blessed to be in the mix since.
06:17 --> 06:21 So you said you're a sneakerhead. I also heard a little birdie told me
06:21 --> 06:25 that maybe one of your newest shoes for your collection was maybe
06:26 --> 06:29 something inspired by Prince. They were some
06:29 --> 06:33 custom sneakers. Jordan 1s with the
06:34 --> 06:39 Prince variation. They may or may not have some snap-on blouses paying
06:39 --> 06:43 tribute to Purple Rain. That is fantastic.
06:43 --> 06:47 I love that. But I mean, as a journalist, I'm sure you encounter a
06:47 --> 06:50 lot of heartwarming stories. This one
06:50 --> 06:54 obviously is close to your heart based on your upbringing
06:54 --> 06:58 and what your connection to it. But is there any other stories that you've
06:58 --> 07:01 encountered throughout your journey? You know, we talk about the young lady in
07:02 --> 07:05 Nashville. I remember a young man in Kansas
07:06 --> 07:09 City. After talking with a teacher in the Kansas City Public School District, she vividly
07:09 --> 07:12 remembers the story about a young man who was going to school,
07:13 --> 07:17 and after about 4 or 5 months into the school year, this kid kept walking
07:17 --> 07:20 to school with cleats. And the teacher kept asking the kid,
07:20 --> 07:23 baby, why you keep going to school with cleats on?
07:23 --> 07:27 Where your shoes at? Well, they only had enough money for
07:27 --> 07:30 one pair of shoes throughout the school year, and those school— for some reason,
07:30 --> 07:33 maybe they were too big, too small, too holey, but those shoes were
07:34 --> 07:37 no longer something they could wear. So all they had were cleats,
07:38 --> 07:41 and that kind of broke the teacher's heart. They had to reach into
07:42 --> 07:45 her pocket— she had to reach into her pocket and kind of pony up
07:46 --> 07:48 some money so that the kid can have some shoes. Something like that happens far
07:49 --> 07:51 too often that we don't realize. Yeah.
07:52 --> 07:55 It's amazing what you guys are doing, and I think there's so much
07:55 --> 07:59 more that can happen throughout this marketplace. And I think getting to
07:59 --> 08:03 the heart of how important a pair of shoes are to a young kid,
08:03 --> 08:05 and I would love for you guys to talk more about that, because I think
08:05 --> 08:08 that really is the heart of why you do what you do.
08:08 --> 08:12 So coming up this weekend, and this will be after we launch
08:12 --> 08:15 this podcast, but there is the shoe gifting.
08:16 --> 08:19 It's a private shoe gifting. These kids get to come and
08:19 --> 08:22 pick out a pair of shoes out of a collection that you have pulled
08:22 --> 08:26 together from sponsors, donations, things like that. Talk a little bit about that and the
08:27 --> 08:30 importance of that moment. Yeah, so we are working with
08:30 --> 08:34 6 different school districts and community partners to invite
08:34 --> 08:39 their students to come out and receive that new pair of shoes. And all
08:39 --> 08:43 of the shoes that we provide are brand name, brand new athletic
08:43 --> 08:48 shoes. So they are shoes that kids feel really good wearing. They feel confident,
08:48 --> 08:51 they feel like they fit in, they belong. And that's really the center of this
08:52 --> 08:56 work, right? Is that not only do we want to eliminate a barrier for
08:56 --> 09:00 participation in the classroom and coming to school and participating,
09:00 --> 09:03 but we also want these kids to feel like they belong and
09:03 --> 09:07 that they're, you know, they don't stand out in any way. And so that
09:07 --> 09:11 is why we are just so focused on making sure that they're high-quality name-brand shoes.
09:11 --> 09:15 And so the other part that's so great is that the kids that will attend
09:15 --> 09:19 the shoe event will have the opportunity to choose. So not only
09:20 --> 09:23 will they receive shoes that fit well, but that they feel good in.
09:24 --> 09:27 And that is just so fun to be part of. And with every pair of
09:28 --> 09:31 shoes comes a pair of socks. So the students will receive the socks as well.
09:31 --> 09:35 And our data is showing us that kids that are receiving the shoes, they are
09:35 --> 09:39 coming to school more often, they're more engaged in the classroom, have greater confidence,
09:39 --> 09:42 participating more in physical activity. There's a story of a gentleman
09:43 --> 09:46 who just wanted to try out for the band. He just wanted to be part
09:46 --> 09:49 of the band. And after he got his new shoes, he was able to join
09:49 --> 09:53 the band and then got a full scholarship to college to participate in
09:53 --> 09:56 the marching band. So it's just something that we all take for granted,
09:56 --> 10:00 something so simple, a pair of shoes can just open the door to so much
10:00 --> 10:04 opportunity. One less thing to worry about in the classroom. Oftentimes they even test
10:05 --> 10:08 higher because it's one less distraction in the classroom. You'd be surprised. I often say
10:09 --> 10:11 a pair of shoes can make you feel like you're 10 feet tall and the
10:12 --> 10:15 impact may be finite. Those shoes may last 6 months, 9 months, a year,
10:15 --> 10:18 but the impact is infinite. You know, those kids will remember that for their lifetime
10:19 --> 10:22 that someone cared. Yeah, absolutely. I mean, remember getting those new
10:22 --> 10:26 pair of shoes as you're growing up, they make you jump higher and run faster
10:26 --> 10:29 and it just, you get that extra boost of energy, which is super exciting.
10:29 --> 10:33 And I think another, interesting fact that was shared with me is that that
10:33 --> 10:36 new box is also really important to those kids.
10:36 --> 10:39 Can you talk a little bit about that? Yeah, so I was at a shoe
10:40 --> 10:43 distribution event last year and sat down
10:44 --> 10:46 next to a little boy, and I said, hey, bud, can I see your new
10:47 --> 10:50 shoes? And he showed me his shoes proudly. He was so excited because they were
10:50 --> 10:53 just like his buddy's shoes. And then he looked at me and said, but do
10:53 --> 10:57 you see this box? This box is so special. And it really
10:57 --> 11:02 hit home that for many of these kids, this is the first time they've received
11:02 --> 11:04 a new pair of of shoes in a shoebox.
11:05 --> 11:09 But also for kids that are transient, that may not
11:09 --> 11:12 have a stable nighttime residence, which is
11:12 --> 11:16 the definition of experiencing homelessness in the public school system, that's a place
11:16 --> 11:20 where they can keep their belongings that can go with them from place
11:20 --> 11:23 to place. And that just makes them feel like they have something to call their
11:24 --> 11:27 own. And again, just something so simple that we take for granted just makes such
11:27 --> 11:31 a big difference. I agree. When these kids come and
11:31 --> 11:34 get a look at their shoes, what does that setup look like?
11:34 --> 11:38 What— can I paint the picture of what that experience when these kids are
11:38 --> 11:41 coming busting to the mall? We're doing it in a private setting. We wanna make
11:42 --> 11:45 sure that it's personable for all of them to experience, but what does that look
11:45 --> 11:49 like? So the kids are coming to the shoe distribution event
11:49 --> 11:52 thanks to Metro Transit, which is providing free transit for all of
11:53 --> 11:56 these kids to attend, which is awesome. And when they come in, they're gonna be
11:56 --> 12:00 greeted. We try to make it like a shoe store. Experience, right? So we have
12:00 --> 12:04 volunteer fitters that are sizing them and making sure that we're getting the right sizes.
12:04 --> 12:08 They sit down, they have their own personal fitter who is going to help
12:08 --> 12:11 pick out those shoes for them, make sure that they feel great.
12:12 --> 12:15 Here at the Mall of America, they put out a red carpet and some of
12:15 --> 12:18 your characters will be there. So photographs,
12:19 --> 12:22 and then Chick-fil-A is providing some lunch for everybody.
12:23 --> 12:27 Everybody gets a new pair of socks from Bombas. So it just, it feels like
12:27 --> 12:31 celebratory. It's really positive. You speak of kids jumping up and down,
12:31 --> 12:34 you will see that at this event. They try to see how fast
12:35 --> 12:38 they can run in their shoes. And it's just really,
12:38 --> 12:41 it's really positive. It's really joyful. And there's just so
12:41 --> 12:44 much dignity and excitement attached to it.
12:45 --> 12:48 I love that. And Kevin, what have you seen from the response from these kids
12:49 --> 12:52 and these families when they are able to participate in these type
12:53 --> 12:56 of events? I've seen kids open the box and kiss the shoes,
12:56 --> 13:00 literally. Some of the kids come up, give you the biggest hug. I've had a
13:00 --> 13:02 kid come to me and say, hey, thank you, mister. I can go talk to
13:02 --> 13:05 that girl that I want to talk to. Some of the cutest things. Uh,
13:06 --> 13:09 one of the last distributions I remember going to in Kansas City,
13:09 --> 13:13 I had some kids trying to give me money, not realizing that this is because
13:14 --> 13:18 someone cared. You know, keep that money. No, that's— it's for you. You know,
13:18 --> 13:22 you'd be surprised, uh, some of these kids, some of them unfortunately
13:22 --> 13:26 for the first time, they're realizing, no, someone really cares. This is— this is not
13:26 --> 13:30 a tit-for-tat. This is not a This is because someone cares for
13:30 --> 13:33 you. Mm-hmm. I love that. You mentioned Metro Transit
13:33 --> 13:37 has stepped up to help out with transportation. Who are some of the other
13:37 --> 13:41 partners that have really made this possible? KARE 11. So they've just
13:41 --> 13:44 been a tremendous media partner of ours, really helping
13:44 --> 13:47 to build the awareness about the work that we're doing here,
13:48 --> 13:52 as well as DSW, which is a long-term partner of ours, JD Sports,
13:53 --> 13:56 Chick-fil-A. Foot Locker had donated some of the shoes that
13:57 --> 13:59 we're giving out tomorrow, which is fantastic. And then of course, Mall of America.
14:00 --> 14:03 And all of the just fantastic work you and your team have done. And how
14:03 --> 14:07 does that work, whether it's a monetary contribution or if you
14:07 --> 14:10 have these partners that are helping with some in-kind components as well,
14:11 --> 14:14 if people are looking to support the initiative? Obviously, you're in
14:14 --> 14:18 the giving phase right now, but what does that look like year-round?
14:18 --> 14:21 Yeah, year-round. So the shoes are all, as I
14:22 --> 14:25 said, name-brand, brand-new shoes. So we receive some donations
14:25 --> 14:29 from brands, and retail partners like Foot Locker, but primarily
14:30 --> 14:33 90% of the shoes are purchased by Soles4Souls. So the easiest way that
14:33 --> 14:36 people can help is to go on the website, soles4souls.org,
14:36 --> 14:40 and make a donation. Every $20 donation goes
14:40 --> 14:43 directly back to purchasing a pair of shoes
14:43 --> 14:47 for a child, and 100% of those donations go towards this program.
14:48 --> 14:50 That is great. So beyond the shoes themselves,
14:51 --> 14:55 what kind of broader impact can this program have on families
14:55 --> 14:59 and school communities? Yeah, so for families, it's again
14:59 --> 15:02 exactly what Kevin said, one less thing to worry about, right? When a family has
15:02 --> 15:06 to decide between a new pair of shoes and the
15:06 --> 15:10 electric bill, a new pair of shoes and food, we want to have to eliminate
15:10 --> 15:14 that choice. We'll take care of the shoes. So it really helps a family in
15:14 --> 15:17 that way. In the community, you know, we are hearing from
15:17 --> 15:21 our school partners that this is having an impact
15:21 --> 15:25 on the greater school community because kids are showing up and they are more engaged
15:25 --> 15:29 in the classroom. And they are happier to be there and their behavior improves
15:29 --> 15:33 and all of the things that really impact, um, the school community.
15:33 --> 15:36 I love that. And Kevin, did I hear that you are
15:37 --> 15:40 so passionate that you're actually setting up your own organization
15:40 --> 15:43 to then feed into Souls for Souls? Talk a little bit about
15:44 --> 15:47 that. Yes, indeed. Um, I had something similar through my previous
15:47 --> 15:51 TV station. It was called Gift of Soul, and I'm starting something
15:51 --> 15:54 here. It's called Soulmate Collective. Hope to be kind
15:55 --> 15:58 of like we talked about earlier, subsidiary of Sole 4
15:59 --> 16:03 Souls where we can raise money and then work collectively and
16:03 --> 16:07 distribute some shoes to some kids, help more kids. I love that.
16:07 --> 16:11 And what components from Kansas City are you bringing here to Minneapolis
16:11 --> 16:14 with that? Is it very similar as far as the structure? Very similar, yeah.
16:14 --> 16:17 Structure, very similar. Have some partners raise some
16:17 --> 16:21 money to get some kids in some shoes and also a
16:21 --> 16:24 literacy component too. Unfortunately, as we all know,
16:25 --> 16:28 54% of kids cannot read at grade level. So when they have some good shoes
16:28 --> 16:30 on their feet, hopefully they can also have a book in their hand.
16:31 --> 16:35 Having the platform to talk to our audience, you know, you have individuals that
16:36 --> 16:38 love to be kind and pay it forward, but you also have a lot of
16:38 --> 16:42 organizations, leaders from organizations that are listening.
16:42 --> 16:45 What would you tell them? What's that message of how they could get involved?
16:46 --> 16:50 Yeah, so just tremendous opportunity to get involved, whether it's participating
16:50 --> 16:53 in events like the Level Up Field Day or events that we're going to do
16:53 --> 16:57 in partnership with Kevin, having your employees come out and
16:57 --> 17:01 be part of the shoe distribution events. What's so beautiful about
17:01 --> 17:04 that opportunity is that, yes, you are there serving kids,
17:04 --> 17:08 but as a volunteer, you are walking away with a lot
17:09 --> 17:12 too. And just the kind of that intrinsic joy that you are
17:12 --> 17:15 feeling through that experience is just really valuable.
17:16 --> 17:19 So we encourage companies to get involved. There's lots of ways. Through sponsorship,
17:19 --> 17:23 donation, engagement to support the work.
17:23 --> 17:26 And I think to be more specific, Souls4Souls, the URL is
17:26 --> 17:31 unique because it's S-O-L-E-S
17:31 --> 17:32 number 4,
17:33 --> 17:36 S-O-U-L-S. Exactly. But to make
17:37 --> 17:41 it even easier, S, the number 4, s.org. And then
17:41 --> 17:45 if you do backslash Twin Cities Kids,
17:45 --> 17:48 Okay. And then all your funds will stay local. Yes. I just,
17:48 --> 17:51 I love, you were very creative with the name and I just, I love that.
17:51 --> 17:54 Mall of America has been a partner now for a couple of years and it's
17:55 --> 17:57 been such a great time with back to school because we do a lot for
17:58 --> 18:01 back to school to support our tenants and all the families that come here for
18:02 --> 18:05 their back to school shopping. And it's just a great marriage of being able to
18:05 --> 18:08 get prepared for your back to school shopping, but also to help
18:09 --> 18:12 others across the metro area to get ready as well.
18:12 --> 18:15 But 10 people, that's a lot of shoes. And I think that's an amazing
18:15 --> 18:19 initiative and and goal that you guys have set. What are you looking
18:19 --> 18:23 for in the future? What is your goal as you look ahead to
18:24 --> 18:27 the years in front of us, and also how you really hope people will remember
18:27 --> 18:31 Souls4Souls? So with our partnership with Mall of America,
18:31 --> 18:34 I'm so proud to say that over the last 2 years, we've been able to
18:35 --> 18:39 serve about 7 kids because of our work together. And as you
18:39 --> 18:42 said, there's 10 kids that are identified as experiencing homelessness
18:43 --> 18:47 It's about 1 in 5, 20% of the kids here in the Twin Cities lack
18:47 --> 18:51 stable housing. And so our goal is to provide every single
18:51 --> 18:54 one of them a new pair of shoes and socks at least once per year.
18:54 --> 18:58 And so we will continue our efforts to build awareness. We'll continue our
18:59 --> 19:02 efforts to raise funds and engage the community in really meaningful ways,
19:02 --> 19:05 build out our school district partnerships so that we can meet that goal.
19:06 --> 19:10 For you parents out there, we know our kids' feet grow fast. One pair of
19:10 --> 19:13 shoes a year, is even a tough ask because they do change
19:13 --> 19:17 out and those kids love to get the new shoes seasonally.
19:17 --> 19:20 So let's keep raising that bar and seeing how the community
19:20 --> 19:23 can show up. So Kevin, I would love for you to kind of have some
19:23 --> 19:27 final words and what's that one thing you hope people
19:27 --> 19:31 remember from this conversation and just in general hearing about this campaign?
19:31 --> 19:35 As someone who has literally been in their shoes, pun intended,
19:36 --> 19:39 I know the impact, an impact a decent pair of shoes can have on a
19:40 --> 19:43 kid. You know, everything from one less thing to worry about in the classroom to
19:43 --> 19:47 building your confidence to feel like you can do anything in the
19:47 --> 19:51 world, in the classroom, out the classroom. I felt as if they helped me
19:51 --> 19:55 make the basketball team in my high school, as I did, and achieved so
19:55 --> 19:59 many things from grades to extracurricular
19:59 --> 20:03 activities to the man I am today. The impact of a pair
20:03 --> 20:06 of shoes stretched beyond just comfortability.
20:07 --> 20:10 And these teenagers, they may be trivial to us adults,
20:10 --> 20:13 but they mean the world to these kids. And it's an impact
20:14 --> 20:17 and something they'll remember for the rest of their lives. I love that. Love that.
20:17 --> 20:21 How about you, Teresa? Any final words and inspiration for our listeners and
20:21 --> 20:24 viewers? You know, just to piggyback on that, I mean, something just
20:25 --> 20:28 so simple, it makes a lasting difference. You know, our school partners say that
20:29 --> 20:32 a new pair of shoes can change the trajectory of a child's life.
20:33 --> 20:36 And they're the ones working with the kids each and every day, every day.
20:36 --> 20:39 So I believe them. And it's just something so simple,
20:39 --> 20:43 and there's lots of ways to get involved. It's such a tangible element
20:43 --> 20:46 that can make such a difference. So I'm gonna challenge each and every one
20:46 --> 20:49 of you out there listening and viewing to help make a difference. There are so
20:49 --> 20:53 many amazing organizations throughout the Twin Cities. Minnesota is
20:53 --> 20:56 such a philanthropic state, and I'm just so proud of everything that we're able to
20:56 --> 20:59 do and to be able to be a partner in this effort means a lot.
20:59 --> 21:02 I think it's a really great cause and we're super excited to
21:03 --> 21:06 be your partner. So Theresa and Kevin, thank you so much for
21:06 --> 21:10 joining us on this episode of So Much More and the work that you
21:10 --> 21:14 do that supports our students throughout the community. Mall of America is a proud partner
21:14 --> 21:17 of Soles4Souls and on the Level Up for Every Kid.
21:18 --> 21:21 A new pair of shoes may be like a small thing to you, but for
21:22 --> 21:26 a student, it can really mean greater confidence, dignity, and the ability to participate
21:26 --> 21:29 fully in school and everyday life. So to learn more,
21:29 --> 21:33 make a donation, get involved, visit Souls4Souls, and look
21:33 --> 21:37 for the Way to Level Up 4 Every Kid campaign. Every contribution helps
21:37 --> 21:41 move this effort closer to providing new shoes to up to 10
21:42 --> 21:46 students experiencing homelessness. So thank you for listening to So Much More. If you enjoyed
21:46 --> 21:50 today's conversation, please follow us and share this episode with other
21:50 --> 21:53 friends and family. We appreciate you, and we thank you for your support.
21:53 --> 21:57 That's gonna do it for this episode of So Much More. Thanks for listening
21:57 --> 22:00 to So Much More, a Mall of America podcast. Subscribe wherever you
22:01 --> 22:05 find your favorite podcasts. This show is presented by Bloomington, Minnesota Travel and Tourism.