Giving Back to Prosper, Texas
It Started With My Mother
In 1992, my mother, Elodie Silva McGuirk, heard about a boy at a California elementary school who was sent to the office crying that his feet hurt. He had outgrown his shoes, so his family curled his toes under, laced them back up, and sent him to school anyway.
She wasn't running a charity. She worked in the financial aid office at Harvey Mudd College. She asked the school to measure 35 students' feet, posted their shoe sizes on a bulletin board at work, and got every one of them a pair.
That became Shoes That Fit — the nonprofit she founded and led as its first executive director. It now operates in all 50 states and has provided more than three million pairs of new shoes to children who needed them.
Shoes That Fit was like a little sibling growing up. My mother was a single parent raising my sister and me while working a full-time job, and back when it was still just her own grassroots effort, the two of us would ride along with her to deliver shoes to the school the child attended. I've been there to watch it grow ever since.
A Sponsor Since 2021 — Now for Prosper ISD
I've sponsored through Shoes That Fit since 2021. It started with kids in Seal Beach, California. After moving to Texas in 2022, I brought it with me to Prosper.
Our sponsorship is open to every elementary school in Prosper ISD. When a student needs shoes, we cover it — for kids living in the same neighborhoods where we list and sell homes.
Shoes That Fit works through school counselors, who identify students quietly and individually. Nothing is announced and no child is singled out. It's not a bulk donation — it's one kid at a time, and the pace is set by what each campus asks for.
Why It Matters in a Town Like Prosper
Prosper is one of the fastest-growing communities in North Texas, but growth isn't evenly distributed. Every campus in Prosper ISD serves students on free or reduced-cost meal programs. A pair of shoes that actually fits changes attendance, participation in PE and recess, and how a kid feels walking into a classroom.
Shoes That Fit accepts no government funding, and more than 90% of contributions go directly to children through volunteer-run local chapters.
How You Can Help
You can donate directly at Shoes That Fit.