Sometimes Hope Begins With A Pair Of Shoes
Shoes for School 2026
Before the school year begins, the work begins
Communities surrounding Guaymas, Mission staff, and community leaders gather names and shoe sizes for children preparing to return to school.
Parents stop for measurements, children are added to lists, and preparations begin for the weeks ahead. At the courtyard of the Director of the Paredonsito Expansion Community, Franki Otero, families begin arriving early — some after long drives from surrounding communities — waiting patiently as children are checked in and prepared for the coming school year.
El Paredonsito Community
The first steps in preparing for the school year are identifying the children who will attend and gathering shoe sizes to ensure no child is overlooked. Franki and his family work with parents to identify children preparing for school and help coordinate the Mission’s annual Shoes for School.
For many families, the first steps toward school begin here
“To a parent, a new pair of school shoes means more than something to wear. It is seeing their child walk through the schoolhouse door, able to attend school, and no longer left out for lacking something so basic.”
Fr. Martín Ibarra, OFM
Preparing for the school year
Weeks before families arrive at the courtyard in Paredonsito, preparations begin. Mission staff travel to Ciudad Obregón searching store aisles, comparing shoe sizes, checking lists, and stretching every dollar so more children can begin the school year ready to attend class.
So No Child Is Overlooked
Before shopping begins, Mission staff work with Paredonsito Community Director Franki Otero and his family to prepare lists of children and shoe sizes so that when families arrive, children are not overlooked.
Finding the Right Fit
As children move through the courtyard, shoes are tried on, sizes checked, and careful adjustments made to find the right fit. Mission staff kneels beside children, helping make sure each pair feels just right for the school year ahead.
One Step Closer to School
At the end of the day, children leave with more than a new pair of shoes. Parents return home knowing one more part of preparing for the school year has been completed, and children leave ready to walk through the schoolhouse door and begin the year ahead with confidence.
For families, it is one less worry and one more child ready to begin the year ahead.
Last year, in 2025, donations helped 2,500 children with shoes. Continue to support a child to begin the school year prepared.
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