Dozens of Dedham children got a break on a new pair of shoes through a new holiday-season program launched by Payless ShoeSource.
The Payless Gives Shoes 4 Kids program delivered $1 million in free shoes to needy children across the country. In Dedham, 50 children in 25 families received $15 gift certificates to the shoe store after the Dedham Community House, Dedham Housing Authority and the Dedham Food Pantry applied together.
The gift certificates were delivered to families served by the Dedham Housing Authority and the Dedham Food Pantry before Christmas Eve, said Michelle Persson Reilly, executive director of Dedham Community House.
"When you go to a Payless shoe store, it's definitely possible to buy a pair of shoes for $15," she said, adding that the money could also be put toward a pair of winter boots.
"The families were delighted with the gift certificates they received, and one mom said, 'Just in time for winter boots. Thank you,"' added Joanne Toomey, Housing Authority's executive director.
The Dedham application was one of 630 selected from more than 2,600 submitted by nonprofits nationwide. Persson Reilly called it "a real collaborative effort demonstrating the best this community can be."
"I felt it was important to include those organizations that serve the neediest families in Dedham. So we applied as a partnership, and I think that made our application all the more attractive," she said.
One Dedham child who benefited from the program was an 18-month-old boy named John. In an e-mail, his 21-year-old mother, who works two jobs, said, "Every day is a struggle, but my son and I are continuously finding the great pleasures of life."
"We still try to give back to our community, like when we both delivered turkey packages to those who needed it for Thanksgiving, and when I helped deliver donated presents to families who otherwise wouldn't have a good holiday," she wrote. "I don't ask for much, I just try to enjoy life as it comes to me and pass on a little hope for those like me."
Families can use their gift certificates through Jan. 31 at the Payless store at Dedham Plaza on Providence Highway.
Daily News staff writer Edward B. Colby can be reached at 781-433-8336 or ecolby@cnc.com.
