Thousands of homeless and underpivileged children and their families began lining up 5 a.m. Thursday at 445 Towne Ave. in Skid Row to wait for the annual Foot Locker-Fred Jordan Mission Back-to-School Giveaway event.

About 7,500 children pre-registered for the giveaway and the mission estimated that 5,000 of these children received brand new shoes and socks, donated by Foot Locker, as well as new clothes, hygiene kits, toothbrushes and back-to-school supplies. 

Pastor Ron Rose of the mission said that last year, 5,000 children were pre-registered and described the event as "controlled chaos." This year was no different, with 2,500 more children pre-registered. 

Children also received a free haircut from Paul Mitchell Salon and a meal from In-N-Out.

More than 60 Foot Locker associates helped fit the children for new shoes, and a hundred more were at the Mission Tuesday sorting hundreds of boxes of shoes by size and age.

"We feel as a part of our core values of a company, community being one of them, it is very important to have our associates extend themselves and help in different ways," said Javier Avila, a regional manager of Foot Locker.

"Over the past 24 years, more than 100,00 shoes have gone out here to the children of L.A.," Avila said. "We collect shoes year-round, store them in our warehouse and then send them out for this event so that these kids can go back to school feeling a little bit better."

Other stations included dental hygiene, ran by the USC Ostrow School of Dentistry; clothing; backpacks and school supplies; and hygiene kits.

Some 350 volunteers helped distribute the donated items and guide the children from station to station. "Poverty has increased nationwide, and this event has never been more needed than today," said Willie Jordan, President of Fred Jordan Missions in a press release. "Children, students and families look forward all year long to this special day." 

Other contributing companies and groups included: Greg Penske, Longo Toyota; Toyota Easy Match; Los Angeles International Airport Customs and Border Protection; Paul Mitchell Schools; Edgewood Press; Barbara Walden; Shelter Partnership; Vera R. Campbell, Knit Works; Mark Chow, A Foundation for Kids; Reo Backpacks; G&M Oil Company, Inc; College of the Canyons; Johnson Controls; All Saints Episcopal Church, Beverly Hills; Calvary Chapel Christian School Downey; CBRE I Asset Services; Bank of America; Sam's Club; Actuations Systems; Pasadena Christian School; Topa Insurance Group; Friendship Baptist Church, Pasadena and Calvary Chapel Rancho Cucamonga.

 

 

 

Reach Staff Reporter Brianna Sacks here.