The SM Store Share Shoes Program Brings Joy To Kids In Isabela

Posted on by

Shoes are essential in one’s journey through life, especially for students. With a pair of good shoes, they will not only be able to fulfill their daily tasks with ease, but it canalso inspire them to work hard and take little steps to achieve their dream.

For most students in the city, a school bus or a stroll down the sidewalkare theirusual commute. But for students in the province, it is a different story.

Students of Diasan Elementary School in Echague, Isabela celebrate after receiving their new pair of shoes.

Students of Diasan Elementary School in Echague, Isabela celebrate after receiving their new pair of shoes.

Samantha, a student from the Diasan Elementary School, shared the hardships she and her classmates face to reach school.

Malayo po ang nilalakad namin ng nakapaa. Madulas po ‘pag umuulan at mahirap, maputik ang daan. ‘Yung mga iba po na nakatira sa may bundok, naglalakad po sila ng malayo. (My classmates and I have to walk a long way to get to our school. When the rainy season comes, the slopes become slippery and dangerous which makes it harder for us. The others who live near the mountain walk even farther),” Samantha said.

 Replicating the shopping experience, an employee volunteer from The SM Store Cauayan assists a kid in fitting her new footwear.

Replicating the shopping experience, an employee volunteer from The SM Store Cauayan assists a kid in fitting her new footwear.

An employee volunteer from The SM Store Cauayan assists a kid in choosing his new pair of shoes.

An employee volunteer from The SM Store Cauayan assists a kid in choosing his new pair of shoes.

Diasan Elementary School is tucked in the middle of the Barangay Diasan, a remote farming community in Isabela with over 600 residents. Students like Samantha have to walk an hour or more on rough terrain to get to and from school and are sometimes forced to skip classes if the river is swollen due to heavy rains.

Despite the challenges, one would be surprised at the great lengths they are willing to go to for their education.The simple gift of a new pair of shoes will allow them to walk to and back to school in comfort and safety.

These are the kinds of stories that inspired the SM Store’s Share Shoes programto reach to the community to continue its mission of bringing joy – through the gift of shoes that canhelp make the journey of the students easier and more comfortable.

Sharing the gift of new shoes

Most students in Diasanhave not set foot in a mall before, let alone a shop selling shoes, so as a treat for the kids, employee volunteers from The SM Store, Savemore and SM Foundationtransformed one of the classroomsinto a shoe store. They assisted the kids in choosing and fitting their very own shoes from the display of clogs, sneakers, sandals, flats and slip-ons donated by The SM Store MLC Shoes and Bags, and SM’s retail affiliates Crocs and Simply Shoes.

One of the classrooms is transformed by SM employee volunteers into a shoe store to give the kids a shopping experience.

One of the classrooms is transformed by SM employee volunteers into a shoe store to give the kids a shopping experience.

The employee and community volunteers also set up a “Feet Washing Corner” before the shoe fitting to impart the importance of taking care of one’s feet. The kids could not hide their joy as they selected and tried on their new footwear.

Apart from receiving new shoes, the kids were treated to fun games and groceries from Savemore. The kids even gamely participated in a Zumba dance number led by The SM Store Cauayan employee volunteers. Wearing their new pairs of shoes, the kids enjoyed the activities knowing their feet were comfortable and secure.

Taking steps to a brighter future

Samantha said that having a pair of shoes is importantto protect their feet from injuries.

Masaya po ako nu’ng nakita ko ‘yung mga kaibigan ko na suot nanila ‘yung sapatos kasi ‘di na sila mahihirapan maglakad ng isang oras papunta ng iskul(I was so happy to see my friends wearing their shoes because now, they won’t have a hard time walking an hour to school),” Samantha said.

Teacher in charge Domenador Mayuyo Jr. shared that for some of the kids, it was their first time to own a pair of shoes, with many of them walking to school wearing slippers or barefoot.

“It’s the first time for some of our students to receive a pair of shoes. Having a new pair of shoes is like a dream come true for them. It is a blessing for them to receive new pair of shoes that they can use to go to school,” Mayuyo said.

Through the gift of new shoes, The SM Store hopes to inspire these kids to take those important steps toward achieving their goals.

Promoting the culture of sharing and purposeful giving

The shoe donation was also accompanied by a medical mission through the partnership of The SM Store with the SM Foundation, Caritas Philippines and the Diocesan Social Action Center of Ilagan. Residents of the community were able to avail of medical and dental consultations, laboratory works, and had X-ray and ECG examinations, and medicinescourtesy of the SM Foundation’s Mobile Clinic, all for free.

The activity was a part of the SM Share Movement, a program promoting a culture of sharing and purposeful giving among SM shoppers all year long. Since 2015, the SM Share Movement has collected over 1.3 million donations composed of shoes, clothing, books, school kits, disaster kits and toys.

The SM Store’s Share Shoes program encourages its shoppers to donate brand new and pre-loved footwear not just to help kids walk safely and reach their desired destinations, but to also inspire them to take important steps toward achieving their goals.

“We would like to thank all the shoppers and our partners who donated and participated in The SM Store’s Share Shoes Movement. This wouldn’t be possible without you. Given the rough terrain and the challenges that these students of Diasan face just to get to their school, the new pair of shoes is a great help to them,” said Cielito Velasquez, Assistant Branch Manager of The SM Store Cauayan.

Through the #SMShareMovement Project, the SM Store remains committed to its promise to give back to communities and to be a partner in their development. Through the simple but valuable gift of shoes, they can continue to be a part of Barangay Diasan’s journey as the children take steps toward a brighter future.

Find out more about the #SMShareMovement’s quarterly donation drives and ways to contribute to upcoming projects, by liking The SM Store Facebook page and by following @TheSMStore on Instagram, Twitter, and YouTube.

27 Comments so far. Feel free to join this conversation.

  1. Czjai 2019/10/09 at 1:51 pm - Reply

    Great project by SM! Sana tuloy-tuloy itong Share Shoes Program nila.

  2. Michi 2019/10/09 at 10:58 pm - Reply

    Kudos to SM for always sharing their blessings.

  3. Jennie Villanueva 2019/10/10 at 12:22 am - Reply

    What a wonderful initiative. Congratulations on this one SM and more blessing your way! Maagang pamasko sa mga bata ito.

  4. Leira 2019/10/10 at 1:42 am - Reply

    Great advocacy sm knows how to give back to the community

  5. Mommy Rockin In Style 2019/10/10 at 6:18 am - Reply

    Ang generous naman ni SM. I hope they continue para marami pa silang matulungang kids.

  6. Ayi 2019/10/10 at 9:07 am - Reply

    This is great. Something simple like this means a lot to these kids 🙂

  7. berlin 2019/10/10 at 11:18 am - Reply

    nakakahappy talaga ang mga ganitong balita. sarap din sa pakiramdam na nakakatulong ka at marami kang napapasaya.

  8. Maj Vill 2019/10/10 at 4:09 pm - Reply

    Nakakatuwa naman ito. This is touching.
    It is always a Good feeling making people happy especially kids. More of this Kind of Event.

  9. Gwen 2019/10/10 at 4:45 pm - Reply

    This is a worthwhile project of SM. It’s nice when big companies invest in helping others.

  10. Peachy @ The Peach Kitchen 2019/10/10 at 9:53 pm - Reply

    Kudos to SM for coming up with such a great campaign!

  11. Nessly Hamoy 2019/10/10 at 10:12 pm - Reply

    What a great initiative from SM. The kids will surely go a long way with this simple gesture. I hope that more companies will do this for the betterment of all. Great Job, SM!

  12. Purple Pieces 2019/10/11 at 1:46 am - Reply

    Aww. What an excellent campaign from SM. Kitang kita na happy ang mga kids with their new shoes.

  13. Janice 2019/10/11 at 8:50 am - Reply

    This is definitely a great initiative. Shoes are must-have items but unfortunately, some of them can be so pricey. Some people just really can’t afford them

  14. may palacpac 2019/10/12 at 3:26 am - Reply

    nakakatuwa naman to. yes to shoes for kids who need them! ang mahal kaya ng sapatos. ang hirap naman for them to go to class in their slippers or worse, bare feet. mainit, mabato minsan.

  15. Emiliana 2019/10/13 at 5:13 am - Reply

    It is amazing how CSR projects like these make a difference in the lives of our indigent fellowmen.

    Keep up the good work SM!

  16. Searcy 2019/10/30 at 1:42 pm - Reply

    Wow this is great! Something most of us don’t think twice about. It’s all about the little things

  17. Ashley Rice 2019/10/30 at 7:31 pm - Reply

    This is so amazing! What a great organization!

  18. Celebrate Woman Today 2019/10/30 at 9:59 pm - Reply

    I admire your involvement and promotion of the events that are life changing. Bravo to the SM Store campaign!

  19. Bree 2019/10/31 at 1:46 am - Reply

    This organization is great! It’s always nice to read about things that make an impact in our world 🙂

  20. Jasmine M 2019/10/31 at 12:39 pm - Reply

    This is absolutely amazing! I am so glad that this program was created. It is really causing change and helping kids receive shoes. This is great!

  21. SONYA 2019/10/31 at 12:53 pm - Reply

    Wow what an incredible thing to do for the children ! LOVE THE SHOE project ! Thank you for sharing !

  22. Julie Syl 2019/10/31 at 2:02 pm - Reply

    It’s so touching when I heard situations like these. I hope the government can help them as soon as possible. It is so nice of SM to do this charity, slippers and shoes could go a long way.. 😊

  23. Dreamingloud 2019/10/31 at 3:31 pm - Reply

    These sounds like a great workout. And their app is so affordable and convenient. Thanks for sharing. I will definitely check this out.

  24. Sophia Damasceno 2019/10/31 at 5:06 pm - Reply

    This is such a beautiful place, espcially for fall activities. I hope you had the best time with family.

  25. twinspirational 2019/10/31 at 5:48 pm - Reply

    This makes me love SM even more. It’s so nice of them to be doing charity act like this. Durable shoes and slippers is such a big help to these kids.

  26. Samar 2019/11/01 at 4:06 am - Reply

    WOW… this is really a great program.

    Thanks for sharing the quick update.

  27. Laura Schwormstedt 2019/11/04 at 8:43 am - Reply

    Oh wow this is such a fantastic initiative and so good to see – some children have to walk so far so a decent pair of shoes is essential.

    Laura x

Leave A Response