BAKERSFIELD, Calif. (KERO) — Ringing in the new year with a new pair of shoes sounds like a small feat, but for some kids, it's all they want. For one teacher, she took it upon herself to help her students stride in style.
For Longfellow Elementary School teacher Reagan Poe, she found the best way to do that came with a pair of shoes.
“It’s my first year teaching so this is all a new experience for me,” Poe said.
In class of 22 students, Poe says they impact her in meaningful ways every day, so she wanted to end the year with a bang.
“I remember when I was little getting a new pair of shoes for Christmas, I loved it. So one of my students mentioned two days ago he really wanted a new pair of shoes for Christmas, so I though okay I have to do this.”
She put the call out to the community to help her raise funds to get a new pair of shoes for each of her kids. Soon, she started getting donations from $5 to $500.
“Every time I’d get a donation, I’d run in to my boyfriend or my mom and be like, 'look what happened,' and then they started coming in like crazy." she said. “At one point I just started crying.”
However, Poe said no matter the amount every little donation made a world of difference for her students.
“Whenever you have a new pair of shoes you are just a better person and you are excited and ready to go for that day. If I can give my kids a new pair of shoes and put a smile on their face then they're going to want to come to school," she said. "They're going to want to come see me and they're going to want to learn and they’re gonna feel good about themselves.”
Poe says she hopes to make this an annual tradition so that her students can always ring in the new year comfortable and in style.
