Colorado foundation shares comfort and kindness
A group of preschoolers walked into the room at Head Start in Limon, Colorado, at the Shoes for Limon event sponsored by the Cheyenne, Kiowa, and Lincoln Early Childhood Council. Some kids bounced with excitement and others were more quiet and trepidatious. But all were welcomed with smiles from Share the Spirit volunteers. After being checked in, the children’s feet were measured, and they chose a pair of new socks from a bin of colorful choices. The volunteers asked each child to pick a chair and removed the child’s shoes while they chatted about what kind of shoes the child would like to wear. The volunteer who was paired with each child gathered two or three shoe boxes and helped the child put on the shoes.
Then the magic happened. The children walked around, ran to the wall, and jumped up and down trying out their new shoes. They’d say, “Yes, I love them!” Or they’d answer, “No, I don’t like them,” and try on another pair. When a child found the perfect pair of shoes, the volunteer checked to be certain the shoes fit. Seventy-three children left with new socks and shoes (many the light-up variety), a snack, and, at this event, a stuffed animal. But more importantly, they walked out the door with smiles and eyes lit up with joy, excited to show off their brand-new shoes.
The Share the Spirit Foundation, founded in 2003, is the vision of sisters-in-law Karen Voepel of Lamar, Colorado, and Tonya Voepel of Arizona. This year, Karen and Tonya celebrate the 20th anniversary of providing shoes for underserved children and families through their foundation. And — in an even more impressive feat — they expect to have gifted 20,000 children with new shoes by the end of this year.
Share the Spirit is about more than giving away shoes. It offers an experience some of these children have never had — the simple act of walking into a shoe store (or a pop-up shoe store) to pick out the shoes they like. “We want to provide shoes personally to kids,” Karen says. “We want to look them in the eye, shake their hand, and take them to a shoe store.”
(left to right) Share the Spirit Executive Director Jessica Page, co-founder Karen Voepel, and Julie Witt, Cheyenne, Kiowa, Lincoln Early Childhood Council coordinator.
It’s amazing what $30–$40 will do for you on your feet and make you feel special. New shoes give kids and adults alike self-esteem and a sense of pride and confidence. New shoes give adults a reason to go out for a walk, play with their kids. And kids, a chance to play outside or play in the gym. New shoes have more of an effect on people than I ever realized.”
— Karen Voepel of Lamar, co-founder of Share the Spirit Foundation
Making Humankind Better
This dream was born out of the tragic events on September 11, 2001. “I wanted something to do to make mankind better,” Karen says. In 2002, she invited Tonya to walk with her on the Susan G. Komen Walk for Breast Cancer from Boulder to Denver. Between the two of them, they raised $5,000. “It was so easy to raise the money. We just sent out letters, and people would mail back checks. People were looking for something to give to.”
“You’ve got three days to walk, and you meet a lot of people and have time to talk,” says Karen. “We talked about starting our own nonprofit and raising money. We thought of shoes for kids because we went through a couple of pairs of shoes training for the walk.”
Share the Spirit co-founder Karen Voepel shares a smile with a little boy while helping him try on a pair of new shoes at a preschool shoe giveaway event.
After researching organizations that gave new shoes to children and finding only one nonprofit, Karen and Tonya applied for a 501(c)(3) and started raising funds. They held an exclusive dinner party in Chicago (Tonya lived in Illinois at the time), charging $100 per person, and raised $1,000. “Then we bought shoes, and we had an event for six children at our local shoe store — J&N Shoes in Lamar. That was the kickoff.”
The success of the initial fundraising efforts became a key factor in realizing Karen and Tonya’s dream. Biannual fundraisers held in Lamar are themed events, which include food and drink options, live entertainment, and an auction. For example, the spring 2022 event, A Day at the Races, featured a dinner of prime rib, pulled pork, ribs, and brisket. Women wore their finest derby hats and fascinators. All enjoyed the event and listening to the live derby broadcast. Fundraising events are also held in Illinois and other states.
The organization works with shoe stores including J&N Shoes in Lamar, buying shoes at a discount, which allows Share the Spirit to support local businesses. Regular shoe events are held in rural areas of southern and eastern Colorado, along with city-based events in Illinois.
Executive Director Jessica Page explains how they find children who need new shoes. “We rely heavily on schoolteachers, counselors, principals, and directors of preschools. These are the people watching the kids. They are our ‘boots on the ground.’ When a first grade teacher tells us about a child who needs shoes, we will collaborate with the teachers of their older or younger brothers and sisters to make sure all of the siblings in the household get shoes. The school officials are phenomenal in getting the kids who need help in touch with Share the Spirit.”
Share the Spirit Foundation Executive Director Jessica Page chats with a boy while fitting him for new shoes.
Outreach programs take Share the Spirit beyond Colorado and Illinois. “We have gone to Eagle Butte, South Dakota, twice to provide shoes to kids on the reservation, some of whom actually walked to the event barefoot,” Karen says. There have been events in Baltimore, Phoenix, California, and West Virginia. “In one day, we gave 500 children new shoes from a local shoe store in West Virginia — plus backpacks filled with pencils, crayons, and paper.”
The Christmas Spirit
During the holiday season, requests for children in dire need of shoes or clothing come to Share the Spirit. When they can help out, they will do so with outreach projects. The board decided to hold a Christmas giving campaign to help one family each year. Last year’s recipient was a family on a reservation in Montana. The grandmother had found their website and reached out asking for help for her daughter and grandchildren. Her daughter was in the hospital having a baby, and at home, the teenage grandson and granddaughter needed boots to wear in the snow and cold. Share the Spirit put together a box of warm boots and a few Christmas gifts including activities, brain games, socks, and fleece sweatshirts for the family.
Jessica shares a story about a multilingual sixth grade boy whose teacher reached out to her. The boy had recently moved to southern Colorado from Honduras, and the only shirt he owned was a basketball jersey without sleeves. The teacher, knowing he needed warm clothing for Colorado winters, asked Jessica if Share the Spirit could help.
When Jessica and the teacher pulled up in a car, the boy was shoveling snow in his driveway with a hockey stick. He had borrowed it from a neighbor and was trying to break up the ice for his guests. They went into the trailer house and found the boy lived with his father and four other men. The men, who worked at a hog farm with long hours of physical work, were all sleeping when they arrived. Jessica and the teacher learned that the boy slept in a chair in the living room and another man slept on the couch. They gave the boy a winter coat, a sleeved hoodie, two pairs of jogging pants, and, of course, shoes and socks. There were tears all around. Jessica still sees the boy, a year later, walking to school in the coat, clothes, and shoes that Share the Spirit gave him.
More than Kids’ Shoes
Jessica’s favorite story from the past year is about an 18-year-old aunt who was the caregiver for her niece and nephew; she had been referred to Share the Spirit by their school. When the aunt brought the children to the event, she wanted the children to have shoes to make it through the winter.
Volunteer Linda Jerome helps a little boy choose which shoes he wants to take home.
“She was the most responsible young lady,” Jessica says. While talking with her, the girl told Jessica she was starting a job at Walmart that day. Jessica noticed the old, worn-out Crocs the girl wore.
“What size shoe do you wear?” Jessica asked.
“Oh, I don’t know,” the girl said. “A 6 or 7, I’m not sure.”
“Well, come sit down and I will measure your foot,” Jessica offered.
“Oh, no. This is for my niece and nephew.”
“This is also for you,” Jessica said and outfitted the girl with a pair of new Skecher work boots. When Jessica sees the girl at Walmart, the girl runs up to her and gives her a hug. And she still wears her Skecher boots.
Jessica says, “Share the Spirit is for children in need, but we also would never turn a blind eye to anyone in need.”
Jessica’s favorite events are for adults in need. Share the Spirit goes twice each year to a center in Fort Lyon operated by Colorado Coalition for Homelessness. “They offer drug and alcohol recovery classes, counseling, and job placement,” she says. “People can go for up to one year, and they gently nudge them to do something.”
She continues, “I love the kids, but adults are more able to understand and be thankful for what you are doing for them. At Fort Lyon, the adults are there at will; they have decided to change their lives, and they are extremely grateful for the shoes we have provided to them.”
When Karen reflects on what they do, she says, “It’s amazing what $30–$40 will do for you on your feet and make you feel special. New shoes give kids and adults alike self-esteem and a sense of pride and confidence. New shoes give adults a reason to go out for a walk, play with their kids. And kids, a chance to play outside or play in the gym. New shoes have more of an effect on people than I ever realized.”
She pauses, her voice full of emotion, “We have so many people to thank for this incredible journey. It’s truly a dream come true.”
Julie Witt puts the finishing touches on tying new shoes for a Share the Spirit program recipient.
We rely heavily on schoolteachers, counselors, principals, and directors of preschools. These are the people watching the kids. They are our ‘boots on the ground.’ When a first grade teacher tells us about a child who needs shoes, we will collaborate with the teachers of their older or younger brothers and sisters to make sure all of the siblings in the household get shoes. The school officials are phenomenal in getting the kids who need help in touch with Share the Spirit.”
— Jessica Page, Share the Spirit Foundation executive director
Gayle Gresham lives in Elbert, Colorado. She is the 2023-2024 president of Women Writing the West, an international organization of writers who write about the West with an emphasis on women’s stories.
Photos by Kylee Coleman