Salvation Army provides back-to-school shoe shopping

MIDLAND The Salvation Army helped children of low-income families get some happy feet Thursday.

With a $50 voucher, plus a 20 percent discount, Ector County ISD families shopped for new shoes at Shoe Carnival in Midland.

Salvation Army Community Relations and Development Director Mikell McLaughlin said this is the second year they have offered this opportunity for Odessa families.

“We’ve done it for Midland for several years now, but we took over the Odessa shelter last February, and so we did it for Odessa last year,” McLaughlin said.

“We partner with the Odessa American. They do the Empty Stocking Fund, and part of that is to support the shoe program,” he added.

They are helping 439 Odessa children this year to get shoes they might not be able to afford otherwise, McLaughlin said.