‘Soles4Souls’ gives away hundreds of new sneakers to students at Suitland Elementary School

SUITLAND, Md. ( DC News Now ) — Every student at Suitland Elementary School in Prince George’s County benefitted from a good deed on Wednesday by getting a brand new pair of free sneakers through the non-profit “ Soles4Souls. “

“I feel like really happy taking home a new pair of sneakers because I don’t have that many sneakers,” said a 5th grader.

Each student lined up, got sized, and was assigned a personal shopper to help them pick out their favorite shoe. After ensuring their shoe was the perfect fit, students walked out of the multi-purpose room in excitement with a brand-new pair of sneakers.

Wednesday’s event was a part of the “Soles4Souls,” “ 4EveryKid” initiative.

The initiative gives away free new athletic shoes to students experiencing homelessness across the country. For this year, the non-profit has made an impact on more than 10,000 kids across the DMV.

“[This] affects their attendance, it affects their participation, it affects their self-esteem and confidence and their grades. We level the playing field for those students so that access to education and activity is a little bit more achievable,” explained Tiffany Turner, Vice President of Outreach at Soules4Souls.

Since 2020, Prince George’s County Schools ( PGCPS ) has worked with the non-profit to discreetly provide shoes and assistance to thousands of students in need across the county. The event was also in collaboration with McKinney-Vento Program, which is the Homeless Education Department of PGCPS.

Although not all students at Suitland Elementary School are experiencing homelessness, they do believe that it’s best to serve all students in the school.

“I feel as though the students having these brand new brand name shoes is going to boost some of their morale. It also says that someone loves them and someone is thinking about them and cares about them,” said Tisa Holley, Director student services for PGCPS.

“They just seem very overwhelmed and but overjoyed. They’re happy. These are the type of things we love to see, especially in our community schools,” shared Jessika Washington,, Instructional Specialist of PGCPS’s Office of Community Schools

With the help of several partners like American Petroleum Institute, American Apparel and Footwear Association, Consumer Technology Association, US Travel Association and more, Soles4Souls was able to make a difference in the lives of so many PGCPS students Wednesday.

PGCPS leaders said they plan to continue their partnership with the non-profit to have more events like this while also continuing to serve those families in need.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to DC News Now | Washington, DC.