GRANITE CITY – Granite City Community Unit School District #9 administrative staff and social workers prepared and packed 250 “Hope Totes” provided by Samaritan’s Feet in a socially-distanced, safe method Tuesday at the James J. Greenwald Administration Building in Granite City, Ill.
The Hope Totes will be delivered to GCSD9 schools and be distributed on an as-needed basis.
“We are excited to partner with Samaritan’s Feet during this year’s National Day of Service event,” said GCSD9 Superintendent Stephanie M. Cann. “We are so grateful to be included in this organization’s vision to serve and help children. Hopefully we can remain partners with Samaritan’s Feet as we continue to serve the needs of our students.”
Each recipient will receive a “Hope Tote” drawstring book bag that contains a new pair of athletic shoes, socks, hygiene kit (toothbrush, toothpaste, shampoo, soap, comb, alcohol wipe, mask, and washcloth), and a “Hope Note” with an encouraging message submitted online from Samaritan’s Feet supporters.
The event was part of the National Day of Service campaign, serving over 7,000 individuals, by Samaritan’s Feet and is funded through a multi-year MLK Day grant received from AmeriCorps (formerly known as Corporation for National and Community Service), the federal agency for volunteering and service.
Observed each year on the third Monday in January as “a day on, not a day off,” MLK Day is the only federal holiday designated as a national day of service to encourage all Americans to volunteer to improve their communities.
About Samaritan’s Feet International
Samaritan’s Feet is a 501(c)(3) humanitarian aid organization that serves and inspires hope in children by providing shoes as the foundation to a spiritual and healthy life resulting in the advancement of education and economic opportunities. Over 1.5 billion people are infected with diseases that are transmitted through contaminated soil (World Health Organization, 2017). The goal of Samaritan’s Feet is to create a world with zero shoeless children. Since its founding by Manny and Tracie Ohonme in 2003, Samaritan’s Feet and its partners have served more than 8 million people in 108 nations and 435 U.S. cities. For more information about Samaritan’s Feet International, visit www.SamaritansFeet.org.
