Local mental health organization, Vans Outlet provides free shoes to community members in need

SAN LUIS OBISPO, Calif. - Transitions-Mental Health Association (THMA), along with the Vans Outlet store in Pismo Beach, are teaming up this week to provide hundreds of free shoes to community members in need.

The giveaway is taking place on Monday, April 29 and Tuesday, April 30 at a temporary "pop up store" inside a warehouse at TMHA headquarters in San Luis Obispo.

"Today we are we have invited our programs to bring their clients to come get a free pair of shoes," said Clara Cobb, Transitions-Mental Health Association Community Resource Coordinator. "This is a partnership with the Vans Store in Pismo Beach that Transitions has been a part of, this partnership since winter of 2022. The folks receiving the shoes are our clients, some of them from our homeless outreach program, as well as our wellness centers. Anyone in the community that Transitions has connected with and provided services for, we are inviting them out to participate today."

Vans Outlet has donated 150 merchandise boxes, filled with 1,500 shoes for the event. Each shoe is valued between $40-to-$90, so the overall cost of the shoes is at least $80,000.

"It is a huge donation," said Cobb. "We have over 1500 pairs of shoes here that will get put on the feet of hundreds and hundreds of people here in the county that really need it. It is a big deal because we don't typically get large donations like this from the community, and so this is just kind of a once in a lifetime type donation that we've gotten, and we're very grateful."

When the store opened at noon, dozens of people were already lined up in the parking lot, waiting for their opportunity to

"It's amazing," said Jade Daivs, after picking up a pair of shoes for a family member. "When I found out, I was totally excited. My son actually just wanted a pair of Vans last week, and I told him I couldn't afford them, so I came out with my sights set on getting him a pair today, and I did, and he's so excited."

Those who are eligible to receive a free pair of shoes includes anyone who is a participant in a THMA program in San Luis Obispo or Santa Barbara County.

"This is great," said Jim Little, moments after making his selection of new shoes. "I think it's just spectacular program. Shoes are really pricey. This is really is money that I can spend on something else besides shoes."

THMA is a nonprofit organization that provides mental health services and resources to those in need on the Central Coast.

"We have over 40 programs throughout the Santa Barbara County and San Luis Obispo counties," said Cobb. "We provide programs through work, housing, community, homeless services. We also operate the Central Coast Hotline."

This week's giveaway is scheduled to take place from noon to 4 p.m. at 784 High Street in San Luis Obispo.

Next month, TMHA will host a second free shoe giveaway with a similar pop up store at its Santa Maria office.

"Since we cover both San Luis Obispo and northern Santa Barbara counties, we are going to a lot some of this donation to take down to Santa Barbara County at the end of May to serve our programs down there," said Cobb. "Transitions has a lot of programs in Northern Santa Barbara County, as well through our wellness centers and our full-service partnership programs, so those clients will be benefiting from this as well."

For more information about Transitions-Mental Health Association, click here for the TMHA website.