According to the World Bank, half of Belize’s population could not afford adequate nutrition and essential non-food items, like shoes, in 2018. Jayme Dee, a nursing professor at Huntington University, has seen this reality firsthand while traveling to Belize with her university’s nursing program. 

Later, Jayme heard that her church—First Church of God—was looking for an international organization to partner with. She knew exactly who to suggest—Kidz Konnect 4 Jesus, an organization she had previously met while bringing nursing students to serve in Belize. Kidz Konnect is a Belize-based nonprofit that connects US and Canadian churches with Belizean villages to support education and community development.

The need for shoes in Belize

After making the connection, Jayme went with her church to serve Kidz Konnect in October 2023, where they organized a vacation bible school program for the students. It was during this trip that Jayme first saw a need for shoes in the community.

“There was a boy who had on a very worn pair of athletic shoes,” shared Jayme. “While we were there, the sole fell off one of the shoes. In this community, kids can’t go to school without shoes, so we had to tape his shoes together so he could come to class the following day.” 

Months later, when the church announced they planned to revisit the community the following October, children’s ministry pastor Debbie Reiniche decided to launch a fundraiser for The Shoe That Grows. 

“Years and years ago, I was at a children’s pastor conference and heard about The Shoe That Grows,” said Debbie. “I looked into it, and my church at the time fundraised money and sent it to Because International, but I’ve always wanted to fundraise for pairs again.”

The response at First Church of God was remarkable. Debbie raised enough support through summer Bible school to take 210 pairs of The Shoe That Grows to Belize. 

Distributing The Shoe That Grows in Belize 

Debbie and Jayme attended the trip and both returned with impactful memories from distributing shoes. For Debbie, one of the most inspiring moments was when a little boy refused to take off his only pair of shoes. 

“One little boy did not want to take his boot off so we could measure his foot,” shared Debbie. “Finally, we realized that he was worried we would try to take his shoes. Once we explained that he could keep both pairs, he took the boots off and let us fit him with The Shoe That Grows. For the rest of the day, he wore one boot and one shoe!” 

Jayme’s standout moment was when her daughter, 15, provided a pair of shoes to a little girl who had misplaced her only pair and was wearing her older sibling's shoes in order to attend class. 

“In Belize, the schools are in open-air buildings and kids play in the schoolyard before going into their classrooms. One little girl arrived and went up to her teacher wearing a pair of sandals that were way too big. The teacher asked the girl where her shoes were, and the girl explained that she couldn’t find them and couldn’t go to school yesterday because she didn’t have any shoes to wear,” said Jayme. “My daughter was so excited to tell her she would get a new pair of shoes that day.” 

Going beyond shoes for kids

After distributing shoes to all of the kids, Debbie and Jayme were excited to have leftover pairs for any students who couldn’t attend that week due to a lack of footwear or for any other reason. They were also able to provide shoes to the teachers, many of whom are also impacted by poverty.

“It was so hot and humid in the classrooms,” shared Debbie. “In one of the classes, only two of the six ceiling fans worked, and only one classroom in the entire school had a light bulb. We discovered that the teachers pay for all that themselves, but they don’t make enough money.” 

“One teacher put the new shoes on and asked if she could give the pair to her daughter instead of keeping them,” said Jayme. “When we explained that we had an extra pair for her daughter, she was really happy that she could keep one for herself too.” 

Now, with a new pair of shoes, the teachers will have one less need to worry about and can focus on their family and classroom needs. 

Thanks to Jayme, Debbie, and the church's fundraising efforts, 210 kids and teachers in Belize now have shoes to protect their feet for years to come. If your church or organization would like to distribute The Shoe That Grows to a community around the world impacted by poverty, you can begin fundraising here.