"I've Never Had New Shoes Before." with Amy Fass, Shoes That Fit

More than 1.3 million children in the United States are unsheltered — and for many of them, a pair of new athletic shoes is not a given but a barrier, to school attendance, to sports participation, to the simple feeling of belonging. Amy Fass, Executive Director of Shoes That Fit, joins Care More Be Better as the domestic companion to the earlier Because International conversation, bringing the lens of childhood shoe insecurity home. She and host Corinna Bellizzi explore what new shoes actually do for a child's self-esteem, the stories of children transformed by something as simple as a name-brand sneaker, the antiquated federal poverty line that leaves millions uncounted, and how to make a concrete difference when the scale feels overwhelming. Chapter Markers 00:00 — Introduction: The Domestic Companion to The Shoe That Grows 04:00 — How Shoes That Fit Works: Schools, Partners, and the Model 10:00 — The Girl with the Box: 'I've Never Had New Shoes Before' 16:00 — Why Name Brands Matter: Self-Esteem and Belonging 22:00 — The Physical Cost of Ill-Fitting Shoes: Injuries, Attendance, and Barriers to Sport 28:00 — 1.3 Million Unsheltered Children and the Antiquated Poverty Line 34:00 — Corporate Partnerships: Nordstrom, Rack Room, GEICO, and On Running 40:00 — The 2025 Challenge: Tariffs, Shoe Donations, and the Donor Base That Stepped Up 46:00 — Building for Scale: Warehouse Model, Distribution, and the Waitlist 52:00 — Leadership Lessons: Resilience, Burnout, and Investing in People 58:00 — Advice for Aspiring Nonprofit Founders: Listen First 64:00 — Closing: Find One Concrete Thing and Do It Resources Amy Fass on LinkedIn Shoes That Fit — shoesthatfit.org Shoes That Fit on LinkedIn @shoesthatfitcharity on Instagram @shoesthatfitcharity on TikTok Shoes That Fit on X Nordstrom — Shoes That Fit partnership Rack Room Shoes On Running Because International — Ep. 289 (previous episode) Godfrey Coker — previous episode Lydiah Kemunto Bosire, 8B Education — previous episode The Grapes of Wrath — John Steinbeck Donate to Shoes That Fit: shoesthatfit.org CONNECT & SUPPORT CARE MORE BE BETTERSubstack: https://caremorebebetter.substack.comYouTube: https://www.youtube.com/c/caremorebebetterTikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@caremorebebetterInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/caremorebebetterFacebook: https://www.facebook.com/CareMoreBeBetterLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/care-more-be-betterCAUSE PARTNER: If you value open dialogue, sustainability, and social equity, I invite you to support our new cause partner —Prescott College. To learn more about this effort and to support the show, visit: https://caremorebebetter.com/support/ Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.