PHILADELPHIA (KYW Newsradio) — Dawn Lewis loves shoes.
“I have more than 200 pairs,” she grinned. “So when God gave me this vision, he knew exactly what he was doing.”
That vision was Shoes for Your Soul, an idea that initially came to Lewis in 2011 after the death of a close friend.
“He would see the need and he would ask the children their size and he’d bring sneakers for them,” she remembered. “I thought, ‘I could do that.’ ”
Lewis, a native of North Camden, is the seventh of eight children — seven girls, one boy. Growing up, it was rare to have her own pair of new shoes.
“My parents just couldn’t afford it,” she said, “so there were a lot of hand-me-downs.”
In 2018, Lewis, a surgical technician, decided to act on her vision. She officially formed her nonprofit on Martin Luther King Jr. Day 2019. By the end of that year, she made her first donation. She gave shoes to a pair of sisters in Camden.
“When the twins received their shoes, they were extremely happy,” Lewis recalled. “I felt like they knew how I felt when I got my first new pair of shoes.”
While getting kids’ measurements ahead of time, she discovered other issues.
“Most children were in a size too small,” she said. “Some didn’t have any socks, and others had large holes in the socks they had on.”
So, Shoes for Your Soul started gifting socks as well. “We want our children to feel empowered and to walk with authority.”
Lewis’ influence grew quickly. Shoes For Your Soul collected donations from individuals and partners like Wegmans and Walmart, and in less than two years, it gave away 2,000 pairs of shoes to school-age children.
“It’s monumental to me,” said Lewis. “We influence the community by demonstrating the power, benefits and principles of giving.”
A big day for the organization came in 2021. Macy’s donated $5,000 and opened the store for a special Shoes for Your Soul event for Camden kids. About 80 children received new shoes that day.
Lewis’ vision took seven years to come to fruition, but she’s so glad it did. She is changing the game by giving kids the gift of healthy feet.
“When God gives you a vision, he will give it to you in the right timing.”
KYW Newsradio’s GameChangers honors 10 individuals or organizations that have made a significant, positive impact in communities of color in the greater Philadelphia region. KYW community affairs reporter Cherri Gregg will host a virtual evening honoring this year’s awardees on Feb. 24.
For a full list of 2021 honorees, click here.