Project Shoe | Kiwanis Club of RHE

Project Shoe 2026: Helping Children Step In to the New School Year

Sep 21, 2026 | Photos, Programs, Project Shoe

On September 19th, the Kiwanis Club of Rolling Hills Estates held its annual Project Shoe program at Skechers in Gardena. Thirty-two children from Volunteers of America participated in the event, receiving new school shoes, backpacks filled with school supplies, and snacks.

Project Shoe is one of the Kiwanis Club of Rolling Hills Estates’ long-standing programs dedicated to helping underserved children in our community. The program provides children with some of the basic items they need as they begin a new school year.

A Partnership That Makes a Difference

The Kiwanis Club has partnered with Skechers to make Project Shoe possible, giving children the opportunity to visit the Skechers store and select a new pair of shoes for school.

For many of the children, choosing their own shoes is an especially meaningful part of the experience. Kiwanis and Volunteers of America members along with Skechers staff are there to assist them, making sure each child finds a pair that fits properly and that they will be comfortable wearing to school.

After selecting their shoes, each child received a backpack filled with school supplies, along with snacks.

More Than Just a Pair of Shoes

Project Shoe has been part of the Kiwanis Club of Rolling Hills Estates’ commitment to children for many years. The program is designed to provide children with both practical support and a positive experience as they prepare to return to school.

The Kiwanis program has traditionally worked with organizations such as Volunteers of America and the Boys & Girls Clubs to identify children who can benefit from the program. The annual event has become an opportunity for Kiwanis members to spend time with the children, encourage them and help them start the school year with confidence.

Kiwanis Club of Rolling Hills Estates Project Shoe 2026

Project Shoe | September 9, 2023

Sep 13, 2023 | News, Photos, Programs, Project Shoe

Forty-Eight 1st and 2nd grade children gathered at Skechers in Gardena to receive school shoes and supplies. The children were from The Boys and Girls Club of Harbor City and the Volunteers of America. The Kiwanis of Rolling Hills Estates has teamed with Skechers for the last three years in support of the underserved children in our community.

Key Club members from Peninsula and Palos Verdes High School supported the program by helping the children select their shoes. After selecting their shoes and a backpack, with the school supplies, the children gathered in the patio for snacks and dancing.

On a somber note a memorial plaque was presented to Karen, Fred Held’s wife, to recognize Fred’s support of the club and Project Shoe. Fred recently passed away.

Project Shoe 2022

Sep 12, 2022 | Photos, Programs, Project Shoe

On September 10th, 2022 the Kiwanis Club of RHE held their annual Project Shoe program at Sketchers in Gardena. Fifty underserved children from our community received school shoes and supplies. The children, from the Boys and Girls Club and Volunteers of America, ranged in age from 2 to 6 years old.

We would like to thank all our members and the key Club students that supported the program. Special thanks go to Sketchers who teamed with us to make this a successful program.

Project Shoe | Sept 12, 2020

Sep 21, 2020 | News, Programs, Project Shoe

Project Shoe continued in September for the 36^th consecutive year, thanks to the resourcefulness and creative solutions of KRHE members and Skechers. Richard Sherman, who initiated Project Shoe over 35 years ago, coordinated with South Bay representatives from Volunteers of America, the Boys & Girls Club and the LA Airforce Base to give twenty-five 1^st and 2^nd graders from each group a gift certificate for school shoes and a back pack filled with supplies. An inspirational message from Kiwanis of RHE (in English and Spanish) was included with every certificate. Each recipient was encouraged to sign a contract to “pay the gift of their shoes forward” by doing something to help a family member or friend.

Thanks to donations to Kiwanis of RHE from local donors, members, and the generous support from Supervisor Janice Hahn’s office, the Kiwanis tradition of “helping one child at a time” has been preserved.

We remain socially distant, but Kiwanis connected!

Project Shoe 2018

Sep 10, 2018 | News, Photos, Programs, Project Shoe

On Saturday September 8th the Kiwanis Club of Rolling Hills Estates held their annual Project Shoe Program at the local Payless Shoe Store in Torrance.

Seventy Five children ages 2 through 6 years, from the local Harbor City Boys and Girls Club, Volunteers of America, and children from military families, received a pair of shoes and a backpack containing school supplies.
Supporting the Kiwanis were high school students from the two local high school service clubs, Peninsula and Palos Verdes High Key Clubs and KIWINS.

The children were provided snacks and entertained with music and dancing. The program is unique as the children are asked to perform a task at home in return for receiving the shoes and backpack so that they understand that this is not just another free give away program.

Project Shoe 2017

Sep 10, 2017 | Photos, Programs, Project Shoe

On Saturday September 9th the Kiwanis of RHE held their annual Project Shoe Program at the local Payless Shoe Store in Torrance. Ninety one pairs of school shoes, backpacks and school supplies were given out to children from the Boys and Girls clubs, Volunteers of America and children from military families.

What makes this program unique is that the children learned that this was not a handout but a hand up. Each child was asked to do a task at home in return for receiving the shoes and school supplies.

The children were able to have drinks and snacks as they waited for their turn to receive their shoes. To round out the program there was music and dancing.

High school students from the Kiwanis Key Clubs and KIWINS help the children select their shoes.

We would like to thank Walgreens, Big 5 and Staples for the backpacks, and Costco and Ralphs for the snacks as well as the many sponsors who financially supported the program and Payless Shoe Store who hosted the program.