At Hope-Hill Elementary School, approximately 80 volunteers watched the school’s 400 students make their way into the school gymnasium. The students were brought into the gym in groups separated by their grades, and none of them had an idea why.
On Friday, Jan. 26, Soles4Souls, a Nashville-based non-profit, delivered 600 pairs of brand-new shoes, as well as socks to the students. Voya Financial, a financial services company, has been partnered with Soles4Souls for fourteen years, and Angela D. Harrell, 50, the company’s senior vice president of diversity, equity & inclusion, and Voya foundation president from Smyrna, GA, currently sits on their board. She brought multiple Voya team members as volunteers, including individuals with backgrounds in corporate retail. Volunteers helped distribute and take students’ shoe sizes to help them find their perfect pair. “Five of us are actually here today; we have other Voya colleagues out here today. Giving back to our community is important. About 70% of our employees volunteer during the course of the year; it’s part of our culture of who we are,” said Harrell.