Brotherly Love: New Jersey Girl, 10, Collects Shoes For Mexico
PHILADELPHIA (CBS) - Her name is Eden Eskaros. On a recent trip to Mexico, she saw something she didn't like and did something about it. That changed everything for hundreds of children.
It's dinner time at the Eskaros home. Last year this close-knit family went on a service trip to remote areas of Mexico. While there, 10-year old Eden noticed many kids couldn't play outside because they didn't have shoes.
"And the ground there is all this broken up gravel, and sharp sticks so if you're walking on it, your feet are going to get really ripped up," she said.
That's when Eden sprung into action. Once they got back home to Voorhees, she sat down with her mother Carol and wrote a letter asking for donations of shoes or flip flops. Her goal was 100 pairs of shoes.
Marisa Yellen, the manager of a local Payless Shoe Source, received one of the letters.
"I got teary eyed. At the bottom, she signed her name and drew a picture. That really got to me," said Yellen.
Yellen and a co-worker donated 43 pairs of shoes to Eden paid for with their own money.
Almost halfway to her goal, Eden then went to her church encouraging the congregation to also donate. In a matter of weeks, she had collected 1352 pairs of shoes. The family went back to Mexico in August and handed out every single pair.
"This miracle was happening in my life and that I was able to witness it," said Eden. "It was amazing."
Eden's next goal is to build a school for villagers in Mexico.
Reported By Dave Huddleston, CBS 3
