McLaren Flint's Community Connections-Shoes That Fit

Author: McLaren Flint

We want to share a few of the ways McLaren Flint leadership, physicians, medical residents and fellows, and clinical and support staff are sharing their knowledge and skills to promote better health and well-being throughout Flint and Genesee County. These community connections come from a desire to make a difference in the health of all residents, no matter their age. Our Vision: McLaren Flint will be the recognized leader and preferred provider of primary and specialty healthcare services to the communities of mid-Michigan. This week we introduce you to……

  

 

Shoes that Fit-Over two decades ago, in the year 2000, McLaren Flint joined forces with Flint Community Schools to support a new initiative called “Shoes That Fit” started by Connie Rau a district social worker at the time. Hospital employees were asked to purchase tennis shoes for elementary students, and they were happy to do so. The following year employees at all three Genesee County hospitals were asked to participate and over all of these years thousands of shoes have been purchased. The program was renamed as Rau stepped away from the coordinated effort to be called “Shoes That Fit Connie’s Kidz” in her honor. Today the Flint Community Schools staff continues to identify students in need of shoes, and employees at the three area hospitals continue to purchase them. The students receive their new footwear before their December holiday break. The program has endured all of these years thanks to our dedicated hospital employees. Even COVID-19 couldn’t deter this annual outreach in 2020.