Unforgettable Families and
Friends to host shoe drive
Unforgettable Families and Friends is hosting a shoe drive on Thursday, Jan. 30, at the Gemstone Palace in Kyle.
Unforgettable Families and Friends is a 501(c)(3) organization that was established in 2016. Founded by Cynthia Bentley, the organization’s focus is helping the children of Hays County “[The organization] benefits the children in our community. We have a reading program that's called ‘Bikes for Books’ reading program,” said Bentley. “We are trying to instill the love of reading in children at a very young age. We want them to realize that reading can travel them all over the world without leaving their homes, their bedrooms, their school and they can just travel and imagine. And also to let them know there's life beyond just Kyle, Texas.”
Many of the children that the organization works with are unhoused and don’t have many daily necessities, such as clothing, food and shoes.
The shoe drive is an amalgamation of many different groups. For the second year in a row, Unforgettable Families and Friends is working with City Limits Subaru and Operation Warm to run the shoe drive.
“Subaru of America partners with the national nonprofit, which is called Operation Warm, to help us locally find nonprofit organizations, such as Unforgettable Families and Friends, that we partner with to enact our outreach,” said Rachelle Grossman, marketing and community relations director for IDEA Auto Group, the parent company of City Limits Subaru.
Other partnerships include:
• Hays County Health Department to administer COVID and flu vaccines.
• Hays County Food Bank to hand out bags of non-perishable food items to those in need.
• Dutch Bros in Kyle has donated hot chocolate.
• The Kyle Area Senior Zone has donated cookies.
• Ross Dress for Less in Kyle has given the organization a grant for more socks.
The organization has collected more than 500 pairs of shoes to give to unhoused children in Hays County. Walmart in Kyle also discounted shoes in sizes 10, 11 and 12, which allowed the organization to buy another 200 pairs of shoes to give out.
Grossman explained that there are other opportunities for the community to get involved, as well.
“Support Unforgettable Families and Friends. Be mindful of shopping and supporting organizations that regularly engage in outreach to try and [benefit] the community,” said Grossman. “And then, support the Hays County Food Bank because they are always looking for donations. When all of the agencies come together, you can really see how much the good we can do in the community is amplified.”
“We want to continue to make a positive impact with our children and our families and our community,” concluded Bentley.
The shoe drive will be held from 5-7 p.m. on Jan. 30, at the Gemstone Palace, located at 1101 Bunton Creek Road in Kyle. To get involved with the shoe drive, visit bit.ly/4gashhp. To learn more about Unforgettable Families and Friends, visit www. unforgettablelives.org.
