New shoes for children / Дитяче взуття – is a charity campaign initiated by the employees of the Świętokrzyskie Cancer Center for the youngest refugees from war-torn Ukraine. Instead of used shoes – gift cards that Ukrainian parents or care providers can use to pay for shoes for their children in shoe shops.
The Center gave out 27 gift cards (worth PLN 150 each). They attached a letter to each card in Polish and Ukrainian with instructions on how to use it.
According to niezależna.pl, Izabela Opalińska informed:
“We know that some refugees find it difficult to admit that they don’t have any necessities. That’s why we handed over vouchers to the humanitarian aid point at Paderewskiego Street in Kielce that Ukrainian guardians can use to pay for shoes for their children in shoe stores.”
Why is it important that children have new shoes that weren’t used before?
The Świętokrzyskie Cancer Center listed several arguments:
1. Because the children’s feet are very plastic. They are also very individual, which means that they have different shapes and work differently. By putting a child’s foot in a used pair of shoes, we expose it to posture defects and the foot can deformity because of the shape of the shoe made by the previous owners.
2. Because a child’s foot works very hard and sweats in the shoe. By providing children with used shoes we increase the risk of acquiring fungal infections from the previous owners.
3. Every parent/care provider of a child knows best what shoes their child needs. Let’s help them with their purchases.
4. Let us give the children and their parents/care providers a little joy. Let them forget about the war when choosing new shoes and paying with a gift card.