What began as a small effort to make sure a handful of students had shoes that fit has grown into a holiday tradition serving hundreds of Tucson children.

On Saturday, Dec. 13, United Hearts of Arizona will host its 12th annual Shoe & Jacket Event, providing winter essentials to students from the city’s south and west sides while highlighting the power of sustained, community-driven support.

From 8:30 a.m. to noon at El Pueblo Senior Center, more than 200 students from Tucson Unified School District and Sunnyside Unified School District schools and Head Start programs will receive essentials like jackets, tennis shoes and socks — items many families struggle to afford during the winter season. Donations are still being accepted through Friday.

UHA Executive Director Maria Vianey Valdez-Cardenas said the event is more than a holiday giveaway and reflects the nonprofit’s larger mission.

“We’re a group of community members dedicated to making an impact by serving families in need and making sure kids go to school ready to learn,” she said. “The tools and resources we provide help families, but they also help schools increase attendance, which is crucial for funding.”

Valdez-Cardenas first launched the drive in 2013 around the time she stepped into the executive director position. She previously worked as a teacher at Mission View Elementary and recalled seeing students arrive to class wearing zip ties as belts or plastic bags around their shoes because they were falling apart.

She said some were bullied for the way they dressed.

“You can tell when kids are struggling at home, like with dirty clothes, poor sleep, not eating well,” she said. “From day one, I committed to giving kids high-quality, name-brand shoes because they deserve it.”

During the drive’s first year, UHA sponsored 15 students. Today, the organization serves more than 250 students each year, and Valdez-Cardenas said the need has only grown.

Most participating families are facing financial hardship or living under the federal McKinney-Vento Homeless Assistance Act, which supports students experiencing unstable housing.

While UHA is able to host the event in a single morning, it takes weeks of planning and dozens of volunteers to pull it off.

The Friday before the event, volunteers gather for a large packing day to assemble bags filled with clothing, toys, books, underwear and socks.

Valdez-Cardenas said key partners like AAA, Famous Footwear and Chase Bank return every year to help, many using paid volunteer hours to assist with the effort.

“They see the direct service,” Valdez-Cardenas said. “On distribution day, every 30 minutes two schools arrive, and in less than three hours everything is handed out. Kids light up. We have Santa, police officers, candy, Raising Cane’s giving out gift cards, and volunteers who get to see the joy firsthand.”

Those moments have stuck with her. She recalled that one student who received shoes at the very first event reached out years later, after graduating from the University of Arizona, wanting to become a monthly donor.

Another former recipient, a mother who had once struggled to support her family, now donates every month and credits UHA for helping her children graduate and attend college.

“Many donors were once kids in programs like ours,” Valdez-Cardenas said. “Giving back is their way of closing the circle.”

Schools also play a central role. Each year, Valdez-Cardenas partners with superintendent offices at Tucson Unified and Sunnyside Unified school districts and Head Start, which help identify schools and students most in need. This year’s schools include Mission View, Borton, Holladay, Pueblo Gardens, Rivera, Sierra, Summit View, Santa Clara, and both Sunnyside and Liberty Head Start sites.

While the December event is one of its biggest each year, UHA continues its work year-round. The organization hosts bilingual breast cancer conferences, cultural music programming and other family-centered events aimed at strengthening social and cultural connections.

“At the end of the day, we’re just trying to show kids that their community sees them and believes in them,” Valdez-Cardenas said. “If we can give them one moment of joy and confidence, that’s worth everything.”

McKenna Manzo is a graduate student at the University of Arizona and Tucson Spotlight intern. Contact her at mckennamanzo@arizona.edu.

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