Best Foot Forward

Our Best Foot Forward project provides local children in need with quality footwear as a supplement to the existing clothing program the chapter has provided the community since its official inception in 1943.

Through this new project, Junior Auxiliary of Columbus has partnered with the national non-profit Soles 4 Souls, which will serve as the supplier of the footwear and has already provided a donation to the chapter through their 4EveryKid program, which aims to help children in the direst of circumstances.

Shoes are provided to children that qualify for assistance through the chapter’s current In-Depth, Clothing, and Clothes-to-Go welfare projects.

To receive assistance, a referral must be submitted to Junior Auxiliary of Columbus through a school counselor. As a way of streamlining the process, all local school counselors have received a measuring mat to help obtain an accurate shoe size.

Junior Auxiliary of Columbus is part of the National Association of Junior Auxiliaries and is commemorating 80 years of service this year in Lowndes County. The organization was founded on the principles of helping children, with a strong emphasis on ensuring their most basic human needs are being met.

“This project centers around the core mission of the Junior Auxiliary organization,” said Parliamentarian and Provisional Trainer of the class of 2022-2023 who implemented Best Foot Forward, Mary Tana Garner. “Just like the other current clothing projects, Best Foot Forward aims to promote a more positive self-image by helping children feel more confident in their daily lives. I can’t think of a better way to commemorate our 80 years of service than by implementing a program that complements the one project that has been the backbone of this organization since it’s very beginning.”

If you are a school counselor and would like to make a referral or receive more information on the Best Foot Forward program, please email shoes@jacolumbus.org.

Project Chairman: Brittney Harrison