Springfield shoe store, manufacturer team up to help needy women
Plaza Shoe Store and Naot footwear have teamed up to help women in need this holiday season.
Springfield shoe store, manufacturer team up to help needy women Plaza Shoe Store and Naot footwear have teamed up to help women in need this holiday season. Check out this story on news-leader.com: http://sgfnow.co/1r0Zxsx
Jackie Rehwald, JREHWALD@NEWS-LEADER.COM Published 10:57 a.m. CT Nov. 20, 2014 | Updated 10:49 p.m. CT Nov. 20, 2014
Plaza Shoe Store owners Mallory Pittman and Cathy Swearengin hold a box of Naot shoes to be donated to Harmony House and the Missouri Hotel.(Photo: Jackie Rehwald/News-Leader)Buy Photo
Naot, an Israeli footwear company, donated 100 pairs of its high-quality ladies footwear to the charity of Plaza Shoe Store owners' choosing.
Owners Cathy Swearengin and her daughter Mallory Pittman chose Harmony House, a shelter for domestic abuse victims, and the Missouri Hotel, a homeless shelter, to receive the shoes. Each shelter will receive 50 pair.
"We picked Harmony House and the Missouri Hotel because these are women's shoes," Swearengin said, holding up a pair of brown leather loafers. "Hopefully these can get somebody back to work."
Harmony House Executive Director Lisa Farmer said a new pair of shoes can mean the world to a woman escaping an abusive situation.
"Very often women come to our shelter with only the shoes they have on their feet. They could be tennis shoes, house shoes, they could be summer shoes and now it's winter. Most of our women don't have the resources to go out and buy a new pair of shoes and if they do, certainly not of this quality," Farmer said. "This is a wonderful donation that we will put to a very good use."
The shoes retail for $150-$200, Swearengin said. There was a mix of sandals, boots, loafers and slip-ons.
Plaza Shoe Store, 2694 S. Glenstone Ave., Springfield, has been in Swearengin's family since the 1950s.
"We believe that what we do is more than just selling footwear," she said in an email.
When Naot footwear approached Plaza Shoe Store with this opportunity to give back, Swearengin said, "It only seemed logical. Springfield is our home and this community is our family. It is our honor to be able to touch the lives of those who do not have access to the resources they need."
Farmer added: "We are extremely grateful that Plaza Shoes would think of Harmony House and think of the women we serve. We could not provide the emergency services we provide without the help from the community … this Thanksgiving season we are extremely thankful for everybody who supports Harmony House and the work we do."
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