Stargate Student pays it forward one pair at a time

The holiday season is a wonderful time to give to family and friends, but one Stargate Student has decided to do much more for his community all year round.

"My name is Reed Schoenfeld, I am a junior at Stargate Charter School, and I am the founder of the nonprofit, Sneaks ‘n Cleats. My whole life, I have always had a passion for sports. Over the years, I needed shoes for each sport I was playing. The problem was that I kept growing. It seemed like every season I would need a new pair of shoes, even though my current ones were in great condition. I realized how fortunate I was that my parents were able to keep buying me new shoes. I know that many kids struggle with this and cannot afford to constantly purchase shoes. That’s why I started this charity. I know that there are lots of shoes in great condition just sitting in a closet somewhere. I believe these shoes can be passed on to kids who are not as lucky as me. At Sneaks ‘n Cleats, our goal is to find used sports shoes that are still in good condition and can be used by kids in need. We ask for donations of shoes for all sports. We clean them up if needed, and find new uses for them. We do this not only by accepting individual requests, but also by partnering with schools and other organizations to reach underprivileged kids. We also accept monetary donations, which we use to fund our non-profit operations and purchase shoes. Anyone can visit www.sneaksncleats.org to contact us, make a donation, request shoes, view our current inventory, or simply learn more about the charity. This is one step forward towards allowing kids to continue with their passions in sports, without worrying about constantly purchasing new shoes."

This story exemplifies our ELEVATE Focus Area: 21st Century Learners. Sharing stories of students who collaborate, think critically, problem-solve and are digitally literate to thrive in today’s ever-changing world.