NPHS sophomore out to make a difference -- one pair of shoes at a time

Friday, March 29, 2019

Walk a mile in another man’s shoes?

Taking that lesson even further, North Putnam High School sophomore Grace Timm is undertaking a project known as Shoes for Change.

A shoe drive happening here in Putnam County, Shoes for Change is the Bainbridge teenager’s Girl Scout Gold Award Project (the highest award a Girl Scout can earn), she explained.

Grace Timm

The effort involves 100 hours of work toward a project Timm believes will have a sustainable impact.

“I am currently collecting shoes from now until April 15,“ Timm said, although she said the deadline can be extended.

Shoes collected will benefit children living in the Saint Mary’s orphanage in Nakuru, Kenya.

“Many of their students in the orphanage live much further from the schools than the children in the village,” Timm explained. “They often walk up to three miles twice a day to get to school, which takes much of their day but they do it simply to get an education.

“This walk and their qualities of life are greatly increased with shoes,” she added, “as they make the walks much easier and allow some students who aren’t able to get to school to able to go and get an education that they desperately need.”

Timm’s goal is that each one of the 500 students in the St. Mary’s orphanage will receive a pair of shoes to start their school year.

The average number of shoes owned by Kenyans is less than one, she pointed out, “but the average American owns an average of 19 pairs of shoes.”

“The goal of this project is,” Timm continued, “is to get as many people involved as possible as everyone can make a difference -- one pair of shoes at a time.”

The shoe drive has been going on in schools across Putnam County. Timm currently has collection sites in North Putnam High School and middle school, Roachdale Elementary, Bainbridge Elementary, Greencastle High School, Cloverdale High School, South Putnam High School and soon at Ridpath and Tzouanakis schools, along with City Hall.

“I also have a space at my dad’s (Mark Timm) office where shoes can be mailed. So you can see it is all over to involve all of Putnam County. It is my goal with this project that we can work together and make a difference one pair of shoes at a time.”

In kicking off the drive, Timm has also done several convocations in elementary and middle schools. In that way, she says she teaches “awareness of other people’s needs and our ability to make a difference in their lives even though we live so far away.”

“A lot of learning took place,” she continued, “and it invited the kids -- many of whom had never thought of world travel -- to ask questions and learn about kids who live on the other side of the world and what their lives are like.”

Timm recently received a grant from the Youth Philanthropy Committee to assist with shipping costs and she will be doing other fundraising efforts in that regard.

“This has been a really great project,” the teenager said. “This has been a really amazing experience that started as my Gold Award Project and has become so much more. As I am wrapping it up, I am excited to see how many we will collect.”

For more information, persons can go to Shoes4Changekenya@gmail.com.

To ship shoes for the project, the address is: Shoes For Change, Attn: Grace Timm, 7796 N. County Road 100 East, Bainbridge, IN 46105.

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  • I love this! This young lady has such a big heart, bless you kiddo!

    -- Posted by ladycoltsfan on Sat, Mar 30, 2019, at 7:27 AM
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