Edison Employees Donate Shoes to Needy Kids

Students at Encinita Elementary in Rosemead got an early Christmas surprise when donated shoes arrived at their school recently.

The kids, between the ages of 4 and 12, were given colorfully wrapped boxes to unwrap. Inside were new shoes donated by Edison International employees as part of their employee giving efforts.

“We are deeply touched and extremely appreciative of the 42 pairs of new shoes donated to our students in need,” said Linda Chang, principal of Encinita Elementary. “Our students were so excited to receive their brand new shoes that they could not stop smiling and talking about them for days.”

The Edison employees partnered with the nonprofit Shoes That Fit. Founded in 1992, Shoes That Fit has provided more than 2 million pairs of shoes to kids in need. The nonprofit believes children who go to school in comfortable shoes that fit benefit from an increase in self-esteem and academic productivity.

Phyllis Gonzalez, an executive assistant at Edison International, has taken part in the shoe donation effort for the past several years and enjoys giving back to the community.

“This project was important to us because we can see the impact it has on these students,” said Gonzalez. “Shoes That Fit connects us with these deserving schools so that we can impact the lives of these children by providing them with new shoes so they can attend school in comfort and with dignity.”

She added: “We are so fortunate to work for a company that enables us to reach out into the community and give back."