Gotta’ Run: Shoes, sneakers and extra sneakers!

Gotta’ Run: Shoes, sneakers and extra sneakers!

Published 2:00 am Saturday, June 13, 2026

I’ve been lucky to steer the Walk Club at Rowan Helping Ministries for 5 years now. Eight weeks within the spring and eight extra within the fall is after we supply constructive details about healthful strolling. The first a part of every weekly assembly supplies contributors with a handout and dialogue, after which we head outdoors to stroll collectively on a repetitive half-mile loop. We stroll and discuss and infrequently the RHM contributors share about their life journey. I really like this half and stay up for it every week.
In the spring class that simply completed, we had a number of distinctive people. One man performed YMCA basketball as a baby on a workforce I coached about 29 years in the past. Another was a municipal water knowledgeable who was down on his luck, however was employed by a close-by metropolis and is reportedly doing very properly. Another was an intriguing younger girl with an enormous persona who spent a part of her life in Jamaica after being born in Springfield, Mass. Her identify is Shanariah Simpson, a 23-year-old who didn’t have good strolling sneakers.
One week, I spent most of a two-mile stroll following Shanariah. I observed that her sneakers seemed to be very uncomfortable. On the final lap of the stroll, I requested, “Would you like for me to see if I can find you a good pair of used running shoes?” Shanariah replied, “I would certainly appreciate that, but my feet are very small and you’ll probably have a hard time finding them.”
The runners membership could have over 30 races this 12 months and we regularly acquire used sneakers from contributors and membership members at these races. Plus a number of lively membership members like Joel Whittington and Connie Hoffner have methods of discovering massive numbers of sneakers.
Shanariah talked about that she wanted a girls’s dimension 6 or 6 ½ and mentioned. “I have a small foot, and it is hard to find my size.” I knew straight away who to ask. Adalie Harrison has not too long ago run her first marathon and has small toes too. I knew that she was doing large mileage and would have some not too long ago retired sneakers. Those sneakers would have tons extra strolling miles in them. I requested, and Adalie replied, “I have two good pairs and Shanariah is welcome to them.”
These two pairs of sneakers have been a part of greater than 300 pairs of sneakers and sandals already donated to RHM by membership members and race contributors for 2026. Regular critical runners get a brand new pair each 400-500 miles and informal runners get them usually too as a result of they wish to strive the most recent and best in shoe tendencies.
The finest a part of the shoe connection occurred on Wednesday afternoon. Shanariah and Adalie met for the primary time amid some superb similarities. Both are 23, put on the identical dimension of shoe, and have been native athletes in highschool. Shanariah did observe and basketball at West Rowan High and Adalie did basketball, cross nation and observe, in addition to soccer at East. Shanariah additionally attended Early College with a GPA of three.6, adequate for the Crosby Scholars and National Honor Society
The focus was on Shanariah. After Springfield, she lived for 9 months in Kinston, Jamaica. Shanariah ended up in foster care however her adoptive mom ultimately took her again to Salisbury. She is now dwelling at Rowan Helping Ministries and took our strolling class, then walked our Chillin’ to the Bare Bones 5K. Shanariah informed Adalie that her “new to her” sneakers really feel like strolling on clouds.
Besides the strolling membership, Shanariah likes many issues about her time at RHM. She takes the “New Tomorrows” courses managed by Keven Yates, and her favourite is the Health and Hope class which teaches her methods to advocate for herself. The nice meals in Jeannie’s Kitchen are a favourite too, particularly when the Harmony Believers put together supper for the residents. Shanariah mentioned, “I love how they bring fresh things from their gardens, but I admit to being partial to their desserts even with a lot of sugar.”
Shanariah is at the moment having fun with the artwork class in an enormous manner, however she mentioned, “I will be surprised if someone buys any of my work!”
Shanariah might see herself working at Rowan Helping Ministries as a licensed peer help specialist or case supervisor. She mentioned, “Yes, I would be happy to end up right back here. I just want to help people just as the current staff is helping me.”
With that, SRR retains accumulating used trainers and they’re wanted. Drop them off with us at a race or on the receiving dock for RHM. Our subsequent race is the Shiloh Run for Missions 5K/ Fun Run in Faith on June 27. Look for it and different occasions at www.salisburyrowanrunners.org