May we take your order?
This phrase is synonymous with fast-food. Simple, yet powerful. It is a phrase that sparks a reaction to make a choice.
Each day, we are faced with many choices, we make decisions to go one way or another. When COVID took it’s grasp on our society, like many of you, we had a choice as an organization. Early in the pandemic, we saw the HUGE need for food and cleaning supplies. With help from many of you, we provided well over 100,000 meals to families within our region. In the midst of the Food 4 the People project, we couldn’t help but think of the many children who were still in desperate need of shoes and socks.
In early June, we began brainstorming what potential shoe deliveries could and should look like moving forward. We debated if it was even possible to continue providing. Borrowing a line from Apollo 13, “Failure is not an option.” Taking guidance from our state and local government, we developed new systems so that deliveries could continue in a safe manner.
Drive-Through
Chick-Fil-A™ (CFA) probably has the most efficient drive-through system in the world. We like to think that we are in second place. There is commonality between CFA and S4TS, people leave with smiles after both drive-through operations.
Many school districts and church partners have opted to host a drive-through delivery. We usher cars safely through various stations to ensure that our quality of service is not diminished. Shoe sizes are able to be determined if unknown. Runners take the orders for fulfillment and ultimate delivery back at the vehicle.
Walk-Up
We have become known for the attention to detail that our volunteer partners possess when helping children. Our new walk-up system is the closest option to how we were able to operate pre-COVID. This allows a volunteer to correctly measure a child’s foot from behind a protective barrier.
The face-to-face interaction looks a little bit different, we can’t see the physical smiles. It’s the eyes… you can see the smile in their eyes. They light up just like on Christmas morning when their box of brand new shoes is opened in front of them. They even get to run!
The need for our mission is greater than ever before. We continue to leave “Shoe Closets” behind throughout the Greater Miami Valley so that needs can be met by our school and church partners as they arise.
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