Shood volunteers at a shoe share
LaTasha Ruffin walked into St. Thomas' Episcopal Church on Hawthorne Avenue with slippers on her feet. She stepped out wearing sky blue running shoes and a smile. It was her birthday, and she couldn’t have asked for a better present.
“Some people can’t afford to buy shoes,” she says. “These feel excellent on my feet.”
Inside the church, volunteers with the Richmond nonprofit Shood (Shoes for Good) welcome guests like Ruffin. Three hundred pairs of clean, vibrantly colored running shoes, organized by size, are neatly displayed on several tables, along with 400 pairs of socks and 200 foot-care bags.
“I believe we are all on this planet to help one another,” says Shood founder Robin Telfian. She got the idea to start Shood when she was volunteering at the soup kitchen at her church, Grace and Holy Trinity Episcopal near Monroe Park. Telfian was approached by a guest in need of comfortable footwear who asked her what happens to a runner’s shoes after a race. From that question, Shood was born.
“We know that a new pair of shoes on its own will not end homelessness, but well-fitting, high-quality shoes can make an immediate impact on wellness, while helping these individuals in need step forward with dignity,” Telfian says.
Since April 2017, Shood has distributed more than 4,000 pairs of running shoes to the homeless and those living in poverty during monthly shoe shares throughout Richmond, usually at churches that regularly offer free meals and are connected with those who need support.
Volunteer Jeff Wells, owner of two Fleet Feet running stores in the area, attends the shoe shares. He has been a Shood partner since its beginning, collecting running shoes in his stores at 5600 Patterson Ave. and 11651 W. Broad St.
“There is a real need to get shoes on these less fortunate folks,” he says. “Shoes are so important to them. They are on their feet so much, and walking is often their mode of transportation.”
A team of Shood volunteers thoroughly cleans, sanitizes and refurbishes donated, gently used running shoes, transforming them to look brand-new.
Since 2017, Shood has distributed more than 4,000 pairs of running shoes to the homeless and those living in poverty in Richmond.
After greeting attendees at the St. Thomas Shood share, Wells gets on the floor to help fit each guest in the most comfortable shoes. “It brings me great joy to see firsthand what a difference a well-fitted pair of shoes can make in the lives of these folks,” he says.
“Only collected shoes in the best condition are chosen for our Shood shares,” Telfian says. “I love to see our guests’ reactions to the amount of the quality shoes we have … and learning they get to pick and try on shoes until they find their perfect pair. Our main focus from the beginning has been to treat our guests with dignity.”
Shood recently expanded its program to help students in need as well. “We got a call from John Marshall High School in the fall that the cross-country team needed running shoes,” Telfian explains. “I don’t want shoes to be an issue for kids, to not … be able to run the races. I want them performing and it being about what they do have, which is their talent, vs. what they don’t have, which is their shoes.” She hopes to expand the program to provide shoes to more cross-country and track teams at local schools.
“Shood has been a tremendous blessing to the track and field program at John Marshall,” says Cary Beth Reynolds, the school’s track and field coach. “Without Shood, we would be struggling to keep athletes from being injured [without] the right gear. It has truly given us peace of mind knowing our kids have what they need to be successful athletes.”
Running shoes from Shood have made a difference for senior John Marshall sprinter James Lewis. “I’ve been hitting new personal records in my events because [the shoes] are extremely comfortable and have great support for my feet. They have been a big help with my recent progress.”
Shood had planned to collect running shoes at the Monument Avenue 10K Health & Fitness Expo March 26-27, but the race has been postponed to Sept. 26. When the race occurs, a number of runners will be competing in Shood shoes, including some participants in The Healing Place, a residential addiction recovery program.
Monument Avenue 10K training team volunteer running coach Danny Mullaney, a former client of The Healing Place, says running the 10K while wearing donated running shoes from Shood positively transformed his path. “It was such an amazing feeling knowing I was making changes in my life,” he says.
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