At the end of May, a local organization — Tennies for Tots — collected shoes, socks and other necessary items for preschoolers throughout the Central and Northern Arizona Head Start Programs.
Paula Sedillo, president of Tennies for Tots, said the nonprofit charity participated in a Fire-Fighter Angel Foundation Car Show at the StoneRidge Golf Course in Prescott Valley May 21, where donors contributed.
The organization also will request help from local businesses and individuals throughout the summer to gather donations for back-to-school distributions, she said.
A $20 donation provides a child with shoes, socks, a book bag and a story book.
Since 2019, the charity has provided not just shoes and socks but also clothing and winter wear. In 2020 and again in 2021, more than 3,000 pairs of shoes and socks were distributed among Head Start programs for children.
The organization also has donated to local school districts and to Boys & Girls Clubs, as well as helped families who have suffered losses through fires, floods or other traumatic events.
Lisa Sahady, regional philanthropic adviser for the Arizona Community Foundation Yavapai County, praised the organization for its dedication. “Within the last five years, they’ve grown from giving 150 pairs of shoes to now, more than 3,000 a year in Yavapai and Coconino counties and the Hopi and Navajo nations.”
Donations can be made through AZGives.org, Facebook, or PayPal by using tenniesfortots@gmail.com or by mail addressed to Tennies for Tots, 425 E. Pittsburgh Road, Paulden, AZ, 86334.
