Fifty local children are invited to a back-to-school celebration August 7th that will send them home with new properly fit athletic shoes of their choosing.
Families from Koochiching County school districts can apply for United Way of Northeastern Minnesota (UWNEMN)'s Step Into School program for their K-12 students to share a community meal, shop for school shoes, and take home other back-to-school essentials like certificates for haircuts. To qualify, families must be under the 200% Federal Poverty Guidelines/Receiving SNAP, MFIP, or Reduced or Free school lunches.
“Through Step Into School we hope to not only alleviate a financial burden for local families but play a role in building confidence in our local youth as they walk through the school doors this fall,” said UWNEMN Community Impact Director Crystal Royer.
Step Into School will begin with a meal at Backus Community Center, and shoe shopping will take place at RONNINGS.
“The Step Into School program is a wonderful way to get area kids off to a great start with new shoes, a fresh haircut, and the knowledge that they are valued by their community,” said Backus Community Center Executive Director Lois Lundin. “This event is a great opportunity to introduce participating kids and their families to other area resources who are vested in seeing our students succeed in school and in our community.”
International Falls Fire Department, International Falls Police Department, Koochiching County Sheriff’s Office, and U.S. Customs and Border Protection will assist with shopping and provide rides from dinner to the store. This is the second year UWNEMN has partnered with Backus, RONNINGS, and local officials on a back-to-school shoe event.
"RONNINGS is excited about the second year of partnership with UWNEMN and the opportunities the organization brings to local families in our community,” said International Falls Store Manager Heather Lynch. “Seeing the smiles on the children's faces when they get to pick out a brand-new pair of shoes for the upcoming school year is incredibly rewarding.”
Community Steps is offered free in International Falls with support from Essentia Health, MIDCO Foundation, Packaging Corporation of America, Sanford Health, TruStar Federal Credit Union, and the Rainy Lake Gazette. Applications are due July 22nd.