Plant City Police Officer Priscilla Clark has started a shoe drive for those who often go without during the holiday season.
Plant City Police Officer Priscilla Clark is making a list and checking it twice.
At the Winter Visitor Center on Dort Street, Clark supervises the Friends of the Park nightly feedings for those in need. At 5 p.m., they come to the center for dinner.
Men.
Women.
Children.
Some come by car but most come on foot, wearing flip-flops and worn tennis shoes: shoes that carry them, step by step, through Tampa, Lakeland and Plant City as they look for resources.
“They were coming to me with blisters on their feet,” Clark said. “A lot of them have callouses, blisters and no socks. My heart was just breaking for them.”
Clark wanted to help. She’s collected the shoe sizes of the center’s regular visitors and has since created a shoe drive.
Now, she has a vision. When they arrive at the center for Christmas dinner on Sunday, Dec. 25, each patron will have a pair of new, unused shoes in their size under the tree.
Clark has turned to the community for help with her project. She’s partnered with Blanca Rodriguez, who owns the bookstore Libreria Cristiana de Jesus in Historic Downtown. Rodriguez also operates Ministerio Voces Angelicales, a Plant City-based organization that is dedicated to helping Plant City’s homeless and needy obtain food, clothing and shelter.
Rodriguez and her team are responsible for hosting nightly feedings at the center the third Saturday of the month, in addition to dinners on Thanksgiving and Christmas.
Because Ministerio Voces Angelicales is a nonprofit, Clark is encouraging anyone who wants to participate in her shoe drive to give monetary or shoe donations to Rodriguez, who will then accompany Clark to purchase the shoes.
“I don’t want any issues or conflicts,” Clark said. “It’s all to benefit the folks that need it. I’m here at least three days per week. I was appointed the position three years ago, when the feedings were still in the park. Not all of them are homeless, some are just really struggling. This is the biggest group we have now. It’s grown to about 50 people nightly.”
Like Clark, Rodriguez has also noticed the issues that Plant City’s needy face —and she was once homeless herself.
“I was amazed that she’s doing this,” Rodriguez said. “They walk to Tampa, Lakeland. They’ll keep moving,
they’ll keep looking for resources. Unfortunately, there’s not a shelter here.”
Clark and Rodriguez are hoping to have all the shoes they need by Thursday, Dec. 22, giving them time to wrap gifts before the Christmas dinner. The Plant City Elks Lodge donated 31 pairs of shoes to the drive, but about 20 pairs are still needed. In addition to adults, shoes also will go to about 20 kids between the ages of 1 and 17.
“For Christmas, I would like for them to have new shoes,” Clark said. “They wear them out until their broken.”
Besides shoes, Rodriguez and her ministry are collecting hygiene products, socks and toys as supplemental Christmas gifts. She held the same drive last year for those in need.
“Almost 90 people came last year, including about 25 kids,” she said. “It went great. We’re collecting any size socks and travel-sized hygiene products. And we could always use blankets. They need something heavier and durable.”
Those who come to the Christmas dinner but weren’t on Clark’s master list can submit their shoe sizes at the dinner and pick up their shoes at a later date.
Extra shoes, toys and toiletries will be donated back to Rodriguez’s ministry and given out on a need basis.
“We don’t get rid of anything,” Rodriguez said. “There’s always somebody in need.”
Contact Emily Topper at etopper@plantcityobserver.com.
