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A child gets to pick his own pair of shoes, ones that properly fit.

Students were partnered with adults as they browsed a list of back-to-school items.

The Rotary Club of Trinity partnered with Metropolitan Ministries to take a group of students back-to-school clothes shopping.

A child gets to pick his own pair of shoes, ones that properly fit.

Students were partnered with adults as they browsed a list of back-to-school items.

The Rotary Club of Trinity partnered with Metropolitan Ministries to take a group of students back-to-school clothes shopping.

TRINITY – With each new school year comes an opportunity for students to reinvent themselves, show off new clothes or share the cool stuff they got to do over the summer. It’s not every child that gets to be as lucky to start the school year with even a new pair of shoes.

To prepare for the return of school, the Rotary Club of Trinity partnered with Metropolitan Ministries. This year, the group took 20 students between the ages of 5 and 18 back-to-school shopping on July 29. The shopping expedition was hosted at Target in the Mitchell Ranch Plaza in Trinity. Many of the children were excited to pick things that they liked instead of picked for them.

“This project is to help prepare the kids going back to school so that they have the confidence to be successful and to focus on their studies, so that they’re not worried about what they look like or that their shoes don’t fit,” said Julie Rogers, past president and current youth services chair for Trinity Rotary.

Rogers started the project with the club several years ago. As a resident who grew up in western Pasco, Rogers said she saw an opportunity to help middle school students who were struggling to keep up with clothes that fit as they transitioned from elementary to middle school. She added that it can be a rough period for families to afford new clothes.

One of the observations that the adults made during the shopping trip, Rogers said, was of a child in the group wearing slippers and another with holes in their shoes.

The return of back-to-school shopping after two years postponed due to COVID was exciting for everyone, according to Rogers. This service project is something the club fundraises year-long for, and this year the club had a budget of $5,000 to spend.

“They loved the total experience of it, to go shopping and pick their own style shoes,” Rogers said. “It melts your heart, it really makes it all worthwhile, all the hard work we do all year raising funds. To see it put to use like that, it’s incredible.”

Children were able to pick a handful of items from a list, and each child was paired up with an adult to help them stay on topic. Often, Rogers noted, these children have big hearts, and they want to pick out a toy or an item for their sibling. They have to be gently reminded that this shopping trip is for their benefit.

After the shopping was done, Metropolitan Ministries brought them to Trinity Rotary’s luncheon for a free lunch. This service project gives these children a positive experience with adults who care, when they may not get that from home.

“We have no idea what these children have been through, if they’ve been homeless or living with someone else,” Rogers said. “We sensed some insecurity in them. To give them that warmth and love for the day was huge. It was nice for everyone, for the kids and the adults.”

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