By Isabel Vorst | Intern
Fair Oaks Ranch sophomore Noah Patton founded a nonprofit called Good for the Sole in high school, turning his passion for sneakers into an organization that provides shoes to kids in need.
Currently, the nonprofit has shifted into an interest group at Baylor, focused on collecting, cleaning and distributing sneakers in partnership with other nonprofits.
“I remember sitting down eating dinner with my family and trying to come up with different ways the community could be impacted, and one of my first thoughts was ‘How could I take this thing I already enjoyed being around and push that passion toward others,'” Patton said.
One of the first sneaker giveaways they did was in partnership with a nonprofit called Inner City Development in San Antonio.
“We had just started out collecting shoes, and for this giveaway we had a total of 37 pairs, which compared to now is crazy considering the growth we’ve seen,” Patton said.
According to Patton, the community’s obvious joy upon receiving the shoes remains an unforgettable milestone in Good for the Sole’s journey.
“I remember the first ever girl that we’d given shoes to,” Patton said. “When she’d come in, she had her head down. On her feet were a pair of slides. They were torn at the toe, and she wasn’t wearing any socks, so it was blatantly obvious she needed new shoes. I remember asking for her size, to which she didn’t have an answer, which took me aback because I was like, ‘Oh wow, this isn’t something you see every day.’”
The moment the girl found a pair of shoes that fit and became her own encapsulates the heart of Good for the Sole’s mission and efforts.
“I remember her opening the box to the shoes, and her face just lit up,” Patton said. “It’s difficult to describe. Her face … it was like all of the effort made for just that one pair of shoes that were given to her was immediately worth it.”
Good for the Sole has expanded its impact to Baylor’s campus, partnering with events like the Bearathon to encourage students to help those in need.
On March 28, the morning of the Bearathon, they hosted a tabling event where runners could donate their own shoes or bring shoes to the race to donate.
Student volunteers helped set up the tables early, handed out breakfast bars and gave flip-flops to those who had donated their running shoes after the race.
“I wasn’t expecting this vast amount of shoes, just because people were running and after the race they’re tired, and the last thing they want to do is take off their shoes and donate them, and they were probably good shoes to begin with,” Patton said.
Baylor students are welcome to contribute to Good for the Sole’s mission in spreading love to the greater community.
Friendswood sophomore Levi John, the organization’s social media and communications director, said the purpose runs deeper than just serving the community.
“Something we are learning is that there is power in word of mouth,” John said. “By simply sharing our mission, donating gently used shoes or starting conversations with friends, students can be a part of something bigger than themselves.”
As Good for the Sole works toward becoming an official organization on campus, they plan to hold tabling events, sneaker donations and shoe-bagging events, like the one held recently at Earle Hall.
“We had residents get the bags, put stickers on them and sizing so that we can organize them,” Patton said. “That’s a cool way to get the community involved for sure.”
According to Patton, Good for the Sole’s main mission is to share the love of Christ through caring for those in need.
“This is the right direction,” Patton said. “Recalling God’s goodness in creating and arranging these opportunities for Good for the Sole to impact others. This is absolutely 100% the way it needs to go — it’s all towards God.”
