The initial idea for ‘Josh’s Shoes’ came to Josh Brown at the age of seven. “A homeless shelter, The Stewpot, invited my family to tour their facility,” Josh explains, “and while they help people with food, they also help with finding a job, which means dressing for interviews. When they showed us their closet area, I noticed they had plenty of clothes, but barely any shoes.”

Shortly after their visit, Josh’s mother, Alison Brown, was sorting through all her running shoes, preparing for a marathon. “I suggested that we donate shoes she did not need to The Stewpot,” he continues, “and she loved the idea and got everyone in her running group involved.”  

When Josh was a freshman at Lake Highlands High School, he brought back the shoe collection project and named it ‘Josh’s Shoes’. He accepts every kind of shoe, in any condition, and donates them to the non-profits where they will be most valued. Athletic shoes go to various homeless shelters, because, as he says, “people experiencing homelessness have to walk a lot.” Women’s shoes go to the Genesis Women's Shelter or their thrift store. He has been donating to Feed Lake Highlands for over a year, and recently volunteered by handing out shoes to local families in need.

While Josh set himself an initial ambitious target of donating 2,025 shoes by the time he graduated from high school in 2025, he has already achieved this by the end of his junior year. Now a rising senior, he has updated the target to 4,000 by the time he graduates in 2025. He hopes this article will encourage neighbors to donate shoes to help him reach this target!

At Lake Highland High School, already a skilled percussionist, Josh has been voted Drumline Captain and has led the high school percussion section for the last two years. He is also very involved in music around Lake Highlands. This summer, his band, Grits, has played classic rock songs at Shady’s on Wednesdays. “Playing and listening to music always motivates me and I hope to continue playing after high school,” he says.

Thinking about the future of ‘Josh’s Shoes,’ Josh looks to his younger sister Emily, 12. “She's helped me sort the shoes over the years. I hope she will continue the work. And when I am in college, I hope to start something new there to help the local community.”

Neighbors wishing to donate shoes can find Josh on Instagram @joshsshoes, by email at joshsshoes2025@gmail.com, or can drop their shoes off on the porch of the Brown family home at 9109 Cork Ln, Dallas 75231. Let’s help Josh reach his goal of donating 4,000 shoes by the time he graduates next summer!

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