It’s Christmas in the Heartside Park Today With Shoes

It's Christmas Day, and many of us are snug in our homes, opening presents, having a delicious Christmas dinner and celebrating. Not everyone, sadly. There are more people than ever not able to celebrate, or even have a warm place to be. They're homeless, on the street and without presents. But, today, there is a group that has a present for them.

Footprints of Michigan, the non-profit with a mission to empower those who are in need by providing warmth and dignity with footwear, will be at Heartside Park, today, Christmas Day, giving away shoes, boots, and presents to those in need, Fox17 reported.

“It is important to share the Joy of the holiday with those who are less fortune, Our Christmas Shoebox Project will enable participants to receive a present wrapped at this event” Geronimo Lerma Executive Director and Founder of Footprints of Michigan.

Footprints of Michigan, was established in 2014. It came to life after Geronimo attended a street walk with a local organization in Lansing. He noticed a young homeless man in desperate need of shoes; his duct-taped soles were worn and tattered. A street walk participant contacted her husband and he promptly delivered a size 13, gently used, pair of shoes. The young man's face lit up as he threw his old, worn pair of shoes in curbside trash can. And so, the idea began.

The organization picks a different city each year for what they call "Making a SOLEful footprint in the lives of others". Our good news is they picked Grand Rapids, and will bless many souls, or "soles" today.

They will be in Heartside Park in Grand Rapids starting at 1 p.m. this afternoon!