Inflation, gas prices adds urgency to back-to-school sneaker drive

SACRAMENTO - With money tight for everyone these days, back-to-school shopping can be a strain for families in need.

An annual sneaker drive is helping make sure struggling families don't go without. It's a confidence boost in a box.

Berry Accius is the founder of Voice of the Youth, the non-profit buying hundreds of boxes of sneakers for children whose families need a boost to go back to school.

"Self-esteem is different when they have a new pair of shoes," Accius said. "You think about inflation, you think about the high gas prices, and you think that moving out of a pandemic things would have gotten a lot better but it's almost a little bit worse than it was before."

The annual sneaker drive received 700 requests for shoes in the first hour registration opened.

"The need, and the families that want this, and are hoping for this, is high," Accius said.

Malaya Muldrew is one of the volunteers at Voice of the Youth. She knows the difference a pair of new shoes can have on the first day of school.

"It makes me feel good giving back," Muldrew said. "Growing up in my house it was always only one kid gets a pair of shoes at a time—we had to split that up." Giving children that fresh feeling when they lace up, to help focus on learning.

The Voice of the Youth sneaker drive serves children ages 3 to 19. The organization is still looking for donations to help serve all the 700 families who have registered with them for this coming school year.