More Than Shoes: Allison Foster’s Lesson in Giving
By Culpeper HQ ·
Allison Foster has a goal of collecting 2,250 pairs of shoes, and she's got some enthusiastic helpers at Culpeper Christian School. Students have been pairing and bagging hundreds of donated shoes, including some that have never been worn. That last detail has caught the attention of students and staff alike. When you start sorting through perfectly good shoes that somebody never got around to wearing, it's hard not to think about how much we have and how much somebody else might need.
For Foster, president of the school's Parent Teacher Fellowship, that's an important part of the project. The shoe drive is a fundraiser for Culpeper Christian School, but it's also an opportunity for students to practice generosity, learn about needs beyond their own community, and discover what service looks like when everybody pitches in. With a November 8 deadline and an ice cream party promised if the school reaches its goal, there's plenty of motivation to keep collecting.
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## A School Community Built Through Service
Foster's involvement with Culpeper Christian School began when she and her husband, Justin, enrolled their son, Latham, in kindergarten in the fall of 2024. They were looking for a Christ-centered education and a teacher-to-student ratio that would allow for a more personalized academic experience.
It didn't take long for Foster to become an active part of school life. She's volunteered at numerous events and classroom activities, served as a classroom mom, and participated in the Parent Teacher Fellowship. For the past two years, she's also led teacher and staff appreciation efforts, including organizing the school's Teacher Appreciation Week.
At the end of the last academic year, her fellow Parent Teacher Fellowship members nominated her to become president. Since then, she says, membership has more than doubled, and the group's calendar has filled with events and ideas intended to make the school an enjoyable place for families and staff.
Foster sees those efforts as connected. Whether she's organizing appreciation activities for teachers or encouraging students to collect shoes, the purpose is to serve the people around her and strengthen relationships within the school.
"I want our families to enjoy Culpeper Christian School, build relationships, have school spirit and fellowship," she says.
## The Math Behind 2,250 Pairs
The shoe drive's goal wasn't pulled out of thin air. Foster says the target of 2,250 pairs was established based on Culpeper Christian School's current student enrollment.
The school earns money for every pair donated, so collecting additional shoes means additional fundraising support. But the project also has a purpose that reaches well beyond the school's own needs.
According to Foster, the donated shoes will be refurbished and shipped to countries such as Haiti, Guatemala, and the Dominican Republic. She explains that the shoes can help create jobs and provide opportunities for people in need. Walking is a primary form of transportation in those countries, she notes, making footwear particularly important.
That combination of practical assistance and school fundraising appealed to Foster because it gives students a chance to participate directly in helping others.
Rather than simply hearing about generosity, students are doing some of the work themselves. They've been collecting donations, matching shoes into pairs, and filling bags. Foster says students continue bringing in shoes every day.
The activity has also prompted some unexpected observations. Students and staff have expressed surprise at the number of donated shoes that have never been worn.
"We all have way more than we need to live a comfortable life, and this project has really helped put that into perspective," Foster says.
There's something instructive about that realization. A shoe that has been sitting unused can become useful again, and the person donating it doesn't have to write a check or make a grand gesture. Sometimes helping begins with looking at what you already have.
## It's Shoes, but We're Meeting Souls
Foster believes the collection has offered something increasingly valuable: opportunities for people to talk to one another.
She points out that people are accustomed to automated calls, artificial intelligence, and organizations requesting monetary donations. Asking someone to contribute shoes instead has led to a different kind of interaction.
"This project is different. It has made people scratch their head and say, 'what a great idea!'" Foster says.
Those conversations have introduced her and others involved in the project to new people. For Foster, the personal connections have become one of the fundraiser's most meaningful outcomes.
"We've talked to people, had real conversations, met new people, and trusted the process. It's shoes, but we're meeting souls."
That last sentence says quite a bit about how Foster approaches school involvement. The donated shoes matter, certainly. So does the money they can raise. But she also values the relationships that develop when families, students, and neighbors work toward something together.
Her affection for Culpeper extends beyond school activities. She enjoys the community's parades and is excited about the new small businesses opening around town, along with its food, drink, and coffee trucks.
Ask how she'd spend an unexpectedly free Saturday, and her answer is refreshingly uncomplicated: walking around downtown Culpeper and visiting local businesses.
She describes downtown as having a pretty, small-town feel and admits she doesn't usually slow down enough to simply "roam."
Given her school volunteer schedule, that free Saturday might be worth putting on the calendar.
## A Lesson That Doesn't End With the Fundraiser
For Foster, the shoe drive reflects the Christian values she hopes students will carry beyond their school years.
She believes serving others and teaching children to live according to their faith belong together. And she places particular importance on what children learn by watching adults put those beliefs into practice.
"Leading by example is important, especially when dealing with impressionable ages," she says.
Her hope is that students will notice the work she does for the school and eventually find their own opportunities to help classmates or serve people in the community.
The Parent Teacher Fellowship's guiding Bible verse is Galatians 5:13: "Serving one another humbly in love."
That principle helps explain why Foster considers the shoe drive both a financial and spiritual opportunity. Students are contributing to their school's fundraising efforts while learning about generosity, gratitude, and the needs of people whose circumstances may be different from their own.
She hopes the experience encourages students to appreciate what they have and recognize that service isn't something they must wait until adulthood to begin.
"I hope they also understand that they are never too young to help others and to make a difference," Foster says.
The immediate target remains 2,250 pairs by November 8. Foster is hopeful the school will get there, and she's promised that reaching the goal will mean an ice cream party for everyone at school.
That's a reward most students can understand without much explanation.
But Foster's larger hope isn't measured in donated pairs or scoops of ice cream. It's that children will remember what they learned while collecting, pairing, and bagging those shoes: that they already have something to offer, and that helping another person doesn't have to wait until they're grown.