Heart and Sole gives to children

Heart and Sole was born when a school employee noticed the need for good shoes for the students.

"I was watching children walking through the halls in shoes without good soles," Cheryl Tillman recalled, expressing her concern for the children as winter approached. That moment prompted Tillman, para-professional aide, to talk to the school nurse at the time, Val Colburn, and together, they began Heart and Sole, a charitable organization to provide shoes and socks for students at Pea Ridge schools.

"It's not a Christmas gift, but we try to pass them out before Christmas break," Tillman said, adding that shoes are distributed throughout the year as the need is seen. Recipients have ranged from kindergarten age through high school, with Tillman specifically remembering a teen-aged boy who needed work boots to keep his job. She said Heart and Sole bought him work boots.

This year, the Pea Ridge Optimist Club and Arvest Bank, Pea Ridge, have contributed so far, Tillman said. Donations may be given to any school or to Tillman at Pea Ridge High School or by contacting her at 479-381-0721.