Birthday Giving Spurs Happy Feet
Around the World

By Analiz González
Buckner International

After a day of cake, candy, candles and gifts, a typical birthday child learns one thing: it’s all about me. But that’s not the case with 4-year-old Jacob Hooks.

Weeks before his birthday came, Jacob’s mother Jackie explained that there are children without parents who have never owned a new pair of shoes. He understood this, she said, and agreed that for his party he’d like his friends to skip the TransFormers and bring Shoes for Orphan Souls instead.

“God, thank you that we have the means to buy shoes not only for our children, but also for other children in need,” Jackie prayed before Jacob blew out his candles.

Jackie first got the idea from David McDurham, who attends church with them at First Baptist, Arlington. McDurham and his wife Amy are adopting a child from China through Buckner.

“David was teaching a Sunday school lesson several months ago,” Jackie said. “He mentioned having a Shoes for Orphan Souls birthday party for your kids, giving them not only an example of doing God’s work, but also ministering to others at the same time.”

Jacob’s father, Corey, said he’s hoping his son’s party will start a new trend. There were over 20 children at the Disney Cars-themed party and Corey wants to spread the spirit of giving.

“We have rooms full of toys,” Corey said. “There are toys coming out of our ears and Jackie felt convicted. It’s not too early to teach our children to give to others. And Jacob will still be receiving presents from his grandparents and uncle.”

Sean Asuncion, a friend of the family, said he loved the shoe-giving idea.

“If you teach your children this young, they won’t get jaded and expect to just receive all the time,” Asuncion said. “When our child is born, we want them to give, also. When Jackie told me she was getting shoes to an organization for kids who don’t have shoes, I thought, ‘Heck we should all be doing this. I want to do this with our kid.”

Twenty-three pairs of shoes were collected at Jacob’s party and a couple more were donated a few days later. The shoes will be distributed to at-risk children and orphans in more than 55 countries around the world through Buckner Shoes for Orphan Souls.