Many of us strive to take pleasure in life's simplicities. We know that happiness should come from the little things like a sunny day, a conversation with an old friend, or an unexpected kindness. For many children in Appalachia, all they have are the little things, like a hot meal, a roof over their heads during a storm, or a new pair of shoes.

Here at AHA, we know that shiny new shoes are wonderful, but the excitement of gazing up at endless shelves of colorful shoes and being able to pick your favorite pair is, for a young child, even better.

Children grow fast, and everyone likes to feel responsible for their own destiny. Our Bare Feet program enables us to take groups of Appalachian children to the local shoe store for them to pick their favorite pair, thus providing them with appropriately sized shoes, as well as the sense of pride and dignity that comes with choice.