As part of back-to-school shopping this year, many parents are buying new shoes for their kids — to help them start the school year on the right foot, as it were. But any of those parents will tell you, shoes are not an inexpensive afterthought. They can take up a big part of the budget. For families with significantly smaller budgets, that might mean new shoes get left off the list.

But Mid-Ohio Valley residents are always looking for ways to take care of each other, and in this case, the Kicks for Kids shoe drive fits the bill. Already there have been 110 pairs of shoes donated at one location — Matheny Motors — and hundreds of dollars pledged. (Jon Six Hair Salon and The Gift Gallery in Vienna are also drop-off points). Collection will continue at those points through the end of this month.

Proceeds from July’s Kicks for Kids 5K in Parkersburg will also be used to purchase shoes.

When the River City Runners and Walkers Club’s Kicks for Kids program gets the call that a child is in need, they will be ready to help. But they will be able to help more kids if the rest of us continue to step up.

It’s a small thing. A new pair of shoes. To a kid who is struggling, it might make a huge difference in the coming school year.