Since 2005, Ryan Richard and his team at Smart Feet have specialized in designer shoes for those with orthopedic discomfort (such as bunions or low arches). A certified pedorthist, Ryan is trained to customize footwear for each customer’s specific needs. But the Smart Feet staff doesn’t just stop at addressing people’s physical well-being. Through their Heart and Sole program, they dedicate hundreds of hours each year to various charities, making an impact on the overall life of our community.

As part of Heart and Sole, Smart Feet has joined with the University of Kansas Hospital to spearhead Kansas City’s chapter of Reach Out and Read. Based on the principle that “reading is the cornerstone for a healthy life,” Reach Out and Read helps area pediatricians to provide a book with every well-child visit, from birth to age 5. The program targets low-income areas, where literacy rates are lower than the national average.

From now through June 30, Smart Feet is collecting new children’s books for Reach Out and Read. If you’d like to help introduce reading into a child’s life–a simple act that could inspire a love of learning and break the cycle of poverty–please donate at your Briarcliff Village Smart Feet store. We are accepting books appropriate for babies through age 5.

For more information, call the store at (816) 382-3668.