Subaru Loves to Help: Shoes for Bennington

Sunrise Family Resource Center is the Parent Child Center for Bennington County. We belong to the Vermont Parent Child Center Network and have been a part of the fabric of our community for fifty-five years. Our mission is “Strengthening Families”. Sunrise works in partnership with individuals, families, and community members to provide a variety of supports and services. These services promote the growth and development of individuals and families through the encouragement of strengths, expansion of opportunities, and support in times of stress. Our vision is that ALL families have the strengths and resources to reach their full potential. In early 2024, Sunrise collaborated with the local Lundgren Subaru dealership and Operation Warm, to host a “Subaru Loves to Help” shoe giveaway event at our center. We were thrilled to be selected as a recipient of this program. Sunrise was a great fit for an event such as this, as we work closely with community partners, schools, and families in the community to deliver our services for free. Sunrise knows that lacking necessities has a tremendous effect on the population we serve and that there is a trickle effect in their daily lives. Some children might miss out on opportunities to participate in school, face social stigmas associated with improper, ill-fitting attire, and can face scrutiny. When advertising for this event, the community response was immediate. Our main office phone line was ringing for days as families signed up to come to the event. Working with both our local Subaru dealership and Operation Warm employees proved to be stress-free and the event came together smoothly. We had over one hundred children sign up for the event ahead of time. The night of the event, when Subaru employees showed up on-site, it was clear that they were well prepared and all in attendance represented Subaru in an incredibly professional capacity. Our Sunrise team is well-versed in working with children and families dealing with trauma, and we were struck with the level of empathy and compassion that the Subaru crew brought to the table. Subaru worked with us to utilize our small family-friendly spaces efficiently. They were prepared with proper documentation and photo release paperwork and made the event seem natural, welcoming, and fun. Children and families worked with Subaru employees to find shoes that fit them properly, were the color of their choice, and left with smiles on their faces. If someone attended who had not signed up in advance, Subaru was first on the scene to hand them a business card and let them know that they would receive their pair of shoes if they called the following day. No child left without an opportunity to receive a pair of socks and shoes. Towards the end of the event, a Spanish-speaking mother and her young daughter walked in the front door. Sunrise and Subaru worked together to provide this young girl with a brand-new pair of shoes. Sunrise was also able to give her a pair of mittens, a hand-knit hat, and a scarf to help keep the cold weather at bay on their walk home that night. By the time they walked out of the door, there was a shared sense of hope that was palpable in the room. Programs and organizations like this exist for good reasons, and it was made clear that there is a definite need in our community and that “Subaru Loves to Help”. Sunrise would like to extend a huge, “Thank you!” to the Lundgren Subaru team that made this event possible and to Operation Warm for sponsoring it. We look forward to collaborating again in the future!