$13 for 13 campaign helps kids in need get shoes for back to school

TAMPA, Fla. - Thousands of kids in need are struggling to get basic supplies, including shoes, to go back to school. 

To help out, FOX13 is teaming up once again with Metropolitan Ministries for the $13 for 13 campaign. 

From July 31 to August 14, $13 online donations to Metropolitan Ministries will be matched to purchase new shoes for kids.

"We're out of shoes. So this is a great time for this $13 for 13 back-to-school shoe campaign so that we can collect more funds so that we can go shopping and make sure we have more shoes in stock, for not only children that live here on our campuses, but we're also case managing hundreds of families out in the community. You can donate $13 and we have an anonymous donor who is willing to match that $13 and then that's enough money for us to go and bulk purchase a really nice and decent pair of shoes for a child in need," explained Justine Burke, the vice-president of marketing for Metropolitan Ministries. 

Burke says it's about more than just shoes, especially in a time when so many are facing economic challenges.

"We like to buy new shoes because that's really part of dignity for our kids. We want to make sure that the kids feel confident and ready to go back to school with everything they need, including a new pair of shoes, which is something that really gets a child really excited. The great thing about this campaign is that these shoes won't just stay here in Tampa. They will be distributed to all the counties that we serve including Pinellas, East and West Pasco, Hernando, Manatee and Polk Counties. A lot of people think that my $13 isn't going to make that much of a difference and if there was ever a time when a smaller donation was going to have so much power. I think it's definitely going to be this year", said Burke.

LINK: Click here to donate to the $13 for 13 campaign.