Palm Springs Unified School District provides shoes for 2,500 students in need

A partnership between Converse and The Foundation, a nonprofit under the Palm Springs Unified School District, gives new shoes to students in need each year.

This year, they raised over $85,000 for shoes for 2,500 students. The district's Student Services department assembles the list of students based on need.

Students will receive the shoes at the next shoe drive in August, at the beginning of the next school year.

Students who aren't able to come to the shoe drive will be visited by Student Services staff, ensuring everyone who needs the shoes will receive them.

Edgar Gutierrez, the Administrative Assistant to the Director at the Foundation, highlights the importance of new shoes: "If you walk into a classroom with poor self-esteem, it doesn't help your performance. You're worried about different things, so providing these kinds of initiatives helps students perform better in school ... it's directly related to their academic performance."

If you'd like to help fund these shoes, The Foundation says it accepts monetary donations on its website. They are unable to accept other donations like used shoes.