Angel Lucy's funeral home has held an annual shoe drive since 2017 in multiple cities across Texas to eliminate one worry for families in need as children prepare to go back to school on Tuesday. This year the funeral home has given away about 500 pairs of shoes. "Every year I get goosebumps seeing the smiles on the children's faces," Cesar Ornelas, owner of Angel Lucy's Funeral Home said.
Kathy Mugia came to the shoe pick-up with her daughter, Katie Rios and her grandchildren. With three boys playing sports in junior high and high school and two girls in elementary school, shoes can be expensive specially with wear and tear and growth spurts. "Shoes are typically the most expensive thing a parent buys preparing for back to school.
Good quality name brand shoes can be anywhere from 50 to 100 bucks," Ornelas said. Jessie Rayos has taught at VISD for 37 years and has been helping with the shoe give away for five years now. He said that this giveaway is a big help for families and that this event is available to everyone, no one is specifically targeted.
Rayos has seen the effect these shoes have on his students. By having name brand shoes it helps kids feel more confident and in a sense, helps them fit in with their classmates. "They need these shoes.
They want to go to school and it gives them a sense of belonging," Rayos said. Students also get to express their personalities with the various uniques shoes Ornelas ordered. Each kid gets to pick between two different styles in .
