Student Artwork Featured on Non-Profit's Christmas Card

The artwork of four fifth-grade students at Amanda Elementary features prominently on a local non-profit's Christmas card.

For nearly a decade, Middletown City School District has partnered with Shoes 4 the Shoeless, a non-profit that provides new, correctly fitting gym shoes and socks to Southwest Ohio children in desperate need.

This Christmas, Shoes 4 the Shoeless chose to represent and celebrate Amanda Elementary by selecting the artwork of four students for the cover, while also detailing the culture of generosity the school exemplifies.

On the back of the Christmas cards - mailed to more than 800 donors and more than 1,000 supporters - the non-profit wrote how the students and staff at Amanda "represent the best things of the heart."

The card details how in 2017, a Shoes 4 the Shoeless delivery to Amanda had to be delayed so the non-profit could assist with relief efforts in Port Arthur, Texas after a hurricane. When Principal Beth Hendricks was notified of the delay she said, "When you get to Texas, tell them the people at Amanda are praying for them and are honored to give up our spot so they can be helped."

The card then explains how the following year, Shoes 4 the Shoeless was preparing to dispatch to Pollacksville, North Carolina for disaster relief, where hundreds of children had lost their homes and were living in temporary shelters. When the staff at Amanda heard about the trip, they collected hundreds of backpacks filled with school supplies to send along with the non-profit, as well as hand-written cards for the people of Pollacksville. 

Shoes 4 the Shoeless calls the artwork on its 2023 Christmas card a gift from the students at Amanda to the reader.

See photos of the students' artwork below.