In our beautiful Coachella Valley, where the aura of Hollywood glamor and sun-kissed days draws tourists from around the world, it’s easy to ignore some harsh truths.
But far too many valley residents are living the 2021 reality of unemployment or under-employment — and even homelessness. Many of those are parents of students Sneakers2090 in the Palm Springs Unified School District.
An even harsher reality: Almost 2,500 of those students, part of the future of this valley, lack a stable home. That’s more than 11% of the district’s 22,000 students.
The problem appears to have gotten worse as the pandemic has gone on, in part because of evictions.
Many of these families are staying somewhere temporarily. They might have been taken in by friends or family in an emergency, or they could be somewhere without a lease where they could be kicked out any time.
And in the latest numbers, 367 students are classified as “truly homeless,” meaning they are either in a hotel or motel, a shelter or other transitional housing, staying with a caregiver or — in the worst cases — without any roof over their head.
These young people need stability in their lives — and at this moment, what they desperately need is shoes.
Do you remember how quickly you outgrew your shoes? Yeezy Release Date 2021 Were you forced to wear an older sibling’s shoes? Or were your parents able to provide for you, in a timely manner?
The need for shoes — ones that fit, that can carry a child to school and home — is basic, desperate and most of all, immediate. To think that in our United States, a family’s dire financial straits mean that they cannot afford new shoes, is more than upsetting. It’s a situation that must be addressed immediately.
We cannot allow this to continue. It is up to all of us to solve this problem. So many of us, who spend money on luxuries, can and should step up now.
Starting now, the Foundation Board of the school district will initiate a voucher program that collects information on the shoe sizes needed — types, style, quantity. We are in talks with several shoe manufacturers to assess their willingness to provide shoes at no cost or at a discount. But meanwhile, the need cannot wait.
Both our families were in the shoe business, so you might say that the understanding of the importance of shoes is in our blood.
But now our concern is with this community — with school children who will grow up to be part of the fiber of the Coachella Valley. And far too many of them do not have the footwear to bring them to school. The need is now. At this moment, $100,000 would go Buy Cheap Yeezy 350 a long way to fill this immediate need.
If you would like to help solve this problem, through a tax-deductible contribution, please contact [email protected].
Jerry Fogleson and Bea Keats are philanthropists who work with a variety of nonprofit organizations in the valley, including those with a focus on education, arts and wellness.