EL PASO, TX (January 3, 2024) — evolve FCU hosted its fourth annual shoe story event in partnership with Academy Sports and Outdoor in West El Paso during the month of December 2023. For the fourth year in a row, they have come together and donated new pairs of shoes to local children’s organizations. They wrapped and donated a total of 185 pairs of shoes. The organizations included El Paso’s Child Crisis Center, The Center Against Sexual and Family Violence, Candlelighters, Lee and Beulah Moor Children’s Home and El Paso’s Children Miracle Network. The delivery of the shoes took place the week of December 12th through December 19th where the evolve marketing team delivered the shoes to each organization’s location respectfully.
The planning for this event takes months to make it happen. In preparation, the evolve FCU marketing team communicates and requests shoe lists from the children’s organizations. After gathering all the shoe lists from the organizations, the evolve marketing staff communicates with the Academy store Managers Richard J. Limas and Sonya Villareal who have been very supportive and resourceful since the inception of this event back in 2020. Since then, Richard and Sonya, along with the amazing staff, work to hand-pick each individual pair of shoes. After the shoes are collected, the marketing team and other evolve FCU staff and volunteers wrap all the pairs for the grateful children who need the shoes. In addition to the shoe donations, evolve FCU also sponsored 20 kids from Big Brothers Big Sisters of El Paso, gifting them Christmas gifts from their Wishlist. The Marketing team was happy to help and wrap all the gifts from their Wishlist just in time for the holiday season.
This Social Purpose event started with a story. A story that inspired evolve FCU during a difficult year for everyone around the world. In 2020, the staff at evolve FCU was invited to visit the Child Crisis Center of El Paso where the former CEO Enrique Davila greeted them. Mr. Davila gave the marketing staff at evolve FCU a tour of the wonderful facility he and his staff ran. He spoke about the silly stories the kids tell, the things they like and the hardships they face. One of the things that stood out the most for evolve staff was the fact that many of the children that are taken to the Child Crisis Center arrive without any shoes. Some kids arrive with a missing shoe when they are dropped off overnight. Most of the children have never received a new pair of shoes as many of the shoes they wear are gently used donations, according to Davila. This inspired evolve FCU to create a new event called, A Shoe Story, as part of their social purpose.
For more information about our social purpose please visit: https://www.evolvefcu.org/about-us/social-purpose
Founded in 1936, evolve Federal Credit Union, formerly El Paso Employees Federal Credit Union, offers full-service banking for anyone who lives, works, or worships in El Paso and Dona Ana County. evolve Federal Credit Union is home to the only Patronage Dividend in El Paso. Visit us today at evolvefcu.org and let us be your financial institution of choice. Federally Insured by NCUA.
Josue Ornelas
AVP of Marketing
evolve Federal Credit Union
jornelas@evolvefcu.org
Phone: (915) 599-6816
