EDITORIAL: Rotary’s work of putting shoes on students’ feet is commendable

There are a lot of great efforts in Jackson and Madison County by non-profit organizations, civic groups and churches.

But one of the most impactful ones happened last week when all of the Rotary Clubs in Jackson joined together – with a few of their friends from across the area – to put new shoes on an entire school of students in Jackson-Madison County Schools.

This effort has been going on for a few years now, and every year there are a few stories of volunteers who are helping out who are expecting to go and serve someone else and bless them but they leave after having been the one who was blessed.

And it’s not because anything was done for them, but because they were given a chance to be reminded of their own blessings and to appreciate what they’ve been given in life.

It’s not uncommon to hear stories of children coming in who are in dire need of a new pair of shoes because they’re either worn out from a year (or more) of use or because the child has simply outgrown their shoes and the parents don’t have the ability to purchase another pair.

There have been stories of shoes needing a lot of effort to be pulled off the feet they were apparently pried onto earlier that morning because they were so tight.

And then when the volunteers began to size the child for his or her new pairs, they didn’t go up one size, but instead two or three because of how much the child had grown since having gotten that pair of shoes.

And then when the child puts the new pair of shoes on, they didn’t realize how uncomfortable their shoes had become until they were able to put on a pair that actually fit.

The added actions of giving a new pair of socks and washing the feet before putting the new socks and shoes on the feet is an act of cleanliness, but there’s something to be said for the act of washing feet.

Jesus Christ did it for His disciples and commanded His disciples do it for each other.

Because it’s hard to look down on another person when you’re washing his or her feet.

Shelley Hayes is the chairman of the Old Hickory Rotary Club and coordinates this event each year and deserves special recognition for the project, but there’s also something to be said for the fact that multiple Rotary Clubs that meet in different places on different days each week throughout the year are able to come together for this event each year.

We see this type of unity for different events throughout the year to help those less fortunate.

This is something that needs to happen even more to make Jackson and Madison County even better than what they already are.

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