More than three dozen NNSS volunteers outfitted 538 Clark County School District Middle School students with a new pair of shoes, socks and dental kits Nov. 22 as part of the NNSS’ partnership with the Goodie Two Shoes Foundation.
Founded in 2003, non-profit Goodie Two Shoes provides disadvantaged children and children in crisis with new shoes, socks and items deemed essential for good health and positive development. The NNSS’ contribution funded shoes and socks for the event, while NNSS employees ensured each student was matched with proper-fitting footwear.
NNSS Joint Actinide Shock Physics Experimental Research (JASPER) Manager Erick Diaz volunteered Nov. 22, bringing his own personal experience with the organization full circle. Diaz was a beneficiary of the new shoe program, founded by Nikki and Tony Berti, a former NFL player with the San Diego Chargers, in 1989 as an elementary school student.
“I was in first grade, and at the time my family was being supported by my father’s single income as a first-class petty officer in the Navy,” said Diaz. “Being as young as I was, I wasn’t fully aware of the economic realities surrounding me, but I do have a very clear memory of excitedly walking back to class wearing a brand-new pair of Ninja Turtles-themed sneakers. I think the impact for both families and students of community outreach programs like Goodie Two Shoes can be greater than the immediate benefits of material gain and economic relief.
“Knowing that a broader community around you care enough to provide you with assistance can instill a sense of trust and ownership. The lessons of compassion and communal support might take a few years to set in with younger recipients, but I think it sets a promising precedent for them as responsible and engaged citizens as they become adults.”
The NNSS holds a multi-year partnership with Goodie Two Shoes, part of the NNSS Outreach & Engagement team’s extensive advocacy, community and educational programming and volunteerism.
“I think one of the major benefits of corporate philanthropy, beyond materially giving back to the communities that support us, is presenting diverse and realistic models of success to developing minds,” added Diaz. “From my own personal experience growing up in a working-class family, I at times lacked a clear picture of what it would be like to work in STEM or indeed any sort of corporate environment. For some of the kids receiving shoes and socks, they might also be receiving their first clear images of what success can look like.”
