“When Nicholas Lowinger was a young boy growing up in Cranston, R.I. he would tag along with his art-therapist mother when she gave art lessons to residents in nearby homeless shelters. Even as a 5-year-old Lowinger was taken by the fact that the residents, many of whom were young children his age, had torn or tattered footwear—if any at all.

Moved by the children who had become his friends, he returned shortly after to donate pairs of his own gently-used shoes and sneakers. He soon realized that the need was much greater than the few pairs he could provide….”