Several partners from throughout the city of Charlotte joined together to encourage elementary and middle school students. It turned out to be a very special day, so check it out below.
Celebrating Students & Their Dreams
“Are they clapping for us?”
A second grader, wide-eyed, looked around the gym to see the volunteers who were indeed clapping for her. Her class was the first to arrive to the gym at Movement School to receive their new shoes, and an array of volunteers waited eagerly to meet them.
It was a day of celebration. A long-awaited day of community partners celebrating students for who they are.
Volunteers from Movement Mortgage, The Park Church, and the local community, all joined together to encourage elementary and middle school students: to simply come alongside them to show that they were there for them—that they have a community.
“The Park Church has been partnering with Samaritan’s Feet for several years. We have served in the warehouse and at other shoe distributions, and I saw the smiles on the kids’ faces. I wanted to extend this opportunity to our church to serve so that they could experience the joy that I’ve experienced serving,” said Minister Kim Morrison, Minister of Outreach, The Park Church.
The conversations echoed throughout the gym as the students who sat across from the volunteers shared about their family, their friends, and their dreams. Things like “I’m a big brother,” “I love playing football,” or “I got a 100 on my writing test.”
These are the moments that can build something. These seemingly basic conversations can snowball into a beautiful feeling of belief in oneself.
“Today means the absolute world to our students. It’s hard to put into words what this truly means, but the impact that this is going to have on our students, our community, our staff, and all the volunteers who are involved today is absolutely phenomenal,” said Susan Byars, EC & 504 Director, Freedom Middle School.
After students received their new shoes, they were ushered over to the “Dream Banner” where they were encouraged to write their dreams, goals, or what they wanted to be when they grew up. At one point during the distribution, the banner was so full of written hopes and desires that the team turned it over so other students would have the opportunity to write their dreams.
And that’s why those conversations and moments matter. Students entered the gym unsure if they were being clapped for, and left confident and excited about themselves and what they can accomplish in life.
See the Action
Check out this Instagram Reel to see just a little bit of our day at Movement School in Charlotte.
