Veronica Jones: Helping homeless kids put their best foot forward

New shoes are something that many people would probably overlook in terms of 'things a homeless child would need'. Most would consider a used pair of shoes as good enough. I mean at least they're something. An old pair of shoes are better than no shoes at all, but are they really? Nicholas Lowinger, a Rhode Island teenager, would probably say no. "No two people's feet are identical, and if you are wearing someone else's worn shoes, your feet aren't going to be very comfortable." Nicholas had helped his mother in homeless shelters before, but it was when he started meeting homeless people his age that he started getting more involved. He tried donating all of his old shoes, but found that they probably wouldn't be much help to other children. 

Created in 2010 by a 12-year old Nicholas, the 'The Gotta Have Sole Foundation' was originally made as a part of the preparation for his bar mitzvah. However, this was not something he intended to start and then hand over to someone else. Nicholas has continued being active in his foundation for three years ad doesn't plan to stop soon. It is now twenty thirteen and the organization is still going strong, having already provided new shoes to over 10,000 homeless children, some of which even being delivered by Nicholas himself. ""No one is ever too young or old to help others." he says"Kids don't always realize that they have the power to make a difference," he said. "I urge other kids to find a passion, create big ideas and act. Kids can make a huge difference in this world."" In a country where bad news and impending doom seem to be the most popular topics to discuss, it's nice seeing something so simple to bring joy to so many people.