Show notes
More than 1.3 million children in the United States are unsheltered — and for many of them, a pair of new athletic shoes is not a given but a barrier, to school attendance, to sports participation, to the simple feeling of belonging. Amy Fass, Executive Director of Shoes That Fit, joins Care More Be Better as the domestic companion to the earlier Because International conversation, bringing the lens of childhood shoe insecurity home. She and host Corinna Bellizzi explore what new shoes actually do for a child's self-esteem, the stories of children transformed by something as simple as a name-brand sneaker, the antiquated federal poverty line that leaves millions uncounted, and how to make a concrete difference when the scale feels overwhelming.
Chapter Markers
00:00 — Introduction: The Domestic Companion to The Shoe That Grows
04:00 — How Shoes That Fit Works: Schools, Partners, and the Model
10:00 — The Girl with the Box: 'I've Never Had New Shoes Before'
16:00 — Why Name Brands Matter: Self-Esteem and Belonging
22:00 — The Physical Cost of Ill-Fitting Shoes: Injuries, Attendance, and Barriers to Sport
28:00 — 1.3 Million Unsheltered Children and the Antiquated Poverty Line
34:00 — Corporate Partnerships: Nordstrom, Rack Room, GEICO, and On Running
40:00 — The 2025 Challenge: Tariffs, Shoe Donations, and the Donor Base That Stepped Up
46:00 — Building for Scale: Warehouse Model, Distribution, and the Waitlist
52:00 — Leadership Lessons: Resilience, Burnout, and Investing in People
58:00 — Advice for Aspiring Nonprofit Founders: Listen First
64:00 — Closing: Find One Concrete Thing and Do It
Resources
Amy Fass on LinkedIn
Shoes That Fit — shoesthatfit.org
Shoes That Fit on LinkedIn
@shoesthatfitcharity on Instagram
@shoesthatfitcharity on TikTok
Shoes That Fit on X
Nordstrom — Shoes That Fit partnership
Rack Room Shoes
On Running
Because International — Ep. 289 (previous episode)
Godfrey Coker — previous episode
Lydiah Kemunto Bosire, 8B Education — previous episode
The Grapes of Wrath — John Steinbeck
Donate to Shoes That Fit: shoesthatfit.org
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