Stepp'n Up Shoes For Kids experiences enormous success that is shared with thousands of deserving children thanks to all our generous donors.

The donors we recognize here have gone above and beyond simply giving but have poured their hearts into their endeavors to help bring new shoes to kids in their communities.

Enjoy these amazing stories and take a step towards making a difference to a child in need. It takes so little to make a huge impact!

Stepp'n Up Shoes For Kids® is a registered name and trademark and may not be used without permission. Stepp'n Up Shoes For Kids, Inc. is a registered 501(c)(3) non profit charity.

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Over 43,000 pairs of shoes have been donated since we started. Read stories and learn more about the difference shoes can make.

Find out how to get involved and start your own shoe project. Download a guide and get started today!
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Giving can be contagious! Click here to read some stories about the effect Stepp'n Up Shoes For Kids has had on others in the community.

Stepp'n Up Shoes For Kids acknowledges these Extraordinary Donors whose contributions brought an unparalled level of success to our efforts to give brand new shoes to children in great need!

Valerie Viglione
My friend and client, Pam Masters, came to me eleven years ago (2001) and asked if I'd like to donate some shoes to a cause she was involved in. I was ready to commit to one pair and then she talked me into committing to ten pair. Two days later I called her and asked for fifteen more names as it had been so easy for me to get support for this cause  - all I had to do was tell people what I was doing! That was the start of a great relationship.

As a hairstylist I have the opportunity to have a captive audience in my chair and after we talk about hair it is easy to get to the subject of 'what's new'. Once I tell a client or friend about Stepp'n Up, they are hooked and many of them have seized the opportunity to reach out to their own networks of friends and clients to help.

One of the greatest factors in our success is that these are local children and we get to feel closer to them as we have their names and ages in front of us. Shoes are a necessary item, and the thought of children through no fault of their own going without is unacceptable. I have encouraged people to donate in whatever way the desire. I realized that it's not often easy or simple to contribute to the community without alot of rules and red tape so I want to keep every avenue open for people to help out. Some people organize and shop for discount shoes, some help with the wrapping and delivery, some throw parties to get more shoes and some donate money. The people who seem the most affected by this project seem to be the ones who pick a few names, shop for the children specifically, and wrap and deliver the shoes to the salon. They come with tears in their eyes as they make a signifigant change in these childrens lives.

Eleven years later I have people calling me in August to let me know that they are already collecting shoes. Stepp'n Up has taken on a life of its own.Last year alone, despite the economic problems in our country, I was able to get 2,320 pairs of shoes donated for local kids in need! I have tremendous gratitude for those who have helped me out through the years and feel joy in every step.

Valerie Viglione • ECHO Salon, Fort Lauderdale
 

Pam Lucas
I am the "shoe shopper" for Stepp'n Up. I became involved with this program when my dear friend, Val Viglione, told me about this wonderful organization and the tremendous needs of children in our community. If we all network with friends, family, and coworkers, our goals will be achieved and every needy child will have a new pair of shoes this year. If you have a teenager in a service club, ask them to make Stepp'n Up their project for the year. To make the experience more personal you can pick a name, age, and shoe size of a child and I will be your Santa's helper this year. If you don't have time to shop, I will shop for you, tag your package, and wrap it. I look for BOGO coupons and sales in every store. Payless will email you a coupon for 20% off your total purchase if you provide them your email address. I'm a fan of the two for one price!!!!. I invite to join with us in our endeavor and say hello to all our returning volunteers. I know you will feel an overwhelming sense of joy when you make a difference in a child's life. Please help us make our children smile this year! 

Pam Lucas, Fort Lauderdale
 

Stepp’n Up Chosen as Partner for Wells Fargo Advisors
Investing in Community 2010 and 2011

Through investing in Our Communities in 2009, 241 partnerships were formed through the program between Wells Fargo Advisors' branches and nonprofits to help address basic needs in local communities throughout the US. These partnerships resulted in nearly 10,000 volunteer hours, more than 40,000 pounds of collected food and clothing, $82,000 in funds raised and $1 million in foundation grants – all helping to feed, clothe, and shelter our neighbors in need.

Through Stepp’n Up, the Florence Fuller Child Development Centers in Boca Raton was the recipient of a grant for $5,666 to purchase new shoes for the children in 2010 and received an additional grant of $2500 in 2011. Their mission of FFCDC is to make a positive difference in the lives of young children from economically challenged families in our community. Florence Fuller Child Development Centers provide quality childcare, early education, family support programs and the only Head Start preschool in Boca Raton. They prepare children for a lifetime commitment to learning and social achievement, while empowering their families to build a brighter future. With these funds, over 400 children were given a brand new pair of shoes to call their own!

Our economic times have presented an increasingly difficult time for many families, many of whom cannot even afford to purchase a new pair of shoes for their child. We hear stories about children who go to bed with their shoes on for fear of someone taking them, kids who ask Santa for new shoes, or skip school because they have no shoes, or who are even ridiculed for wearing someone else’s shoes.

Both Stepp’n Up and Florence Fuller Child Development Centers are both proud and grateful to be a part of Wells Fargo Advisors Investing in Communities. “We are grateful for their generosity and kindness towards these families in need,” said Marilyn Perlyn, donor coordinator for Stepp’n Up.

Dolores Hess
Dolores Hess is the receptionist at Wells Fargo Advisors in Boca Raton. But Dolores isn’t just the receptionist. She is a woman with a huge heart and a huge spirit to help those in need. “I always did it. It’s a family thing,” says Dolores.

It is because of Dolores’s enthusiasm, spirit, and tremendous efforts, year after year, that the employees of Wells Fargo Advisors have contributed thousands of pairs of new shoes for local kids in need. However, that wasn’t enough for Dolores. She is a woman on a mission and through her efforts, Stepp’n Up and the Florence Fuller Child Development Center were selected to receive a grant from the Wells Fargo Advisors Investment in Community program. The grant provided enough funding for an additional 400 children to receive new sneakers!

Dolores, who has been with WFA for nearly twenty-five years, personally shops and gift wraps the shoes. The children from FFCDC surprised Dolores by visiting her at work and performing for her. “To see the smiles on their faces…it meant so much to these kids to get their own pair of shoes. You sort of forget about helping others during the day and charities like Stepp’n Up remind us all about the need to help others.”