Photo: Suzanne Sausville (WBZ)
NATICK, Mass. (WBZ NewsRadio) — Ben Goodman is on the verge of becoming a man.
The 12-year-old from Natick is preparing for his upcoming Bar Mitzvah on Dec. 9. While practicing his Torah reading would be enough to make any Jewish parent happy, Ben is taking the extra step... in a manner of speaking.
"Shoes in general, I mean they’re cool," Ben told WBZ NewsRadio Saturday. "They show a lot about your personality, what kind of shoes you wear."
Ben collects shoes and even has a shoe cleaning business. Now, he is combining his love for footwear with his other passion: volunteering at Cradles to Crayons, the non-profit that works to end children clothing insecurity.
"In Massachusetts, one in three children don’t have stable clothing," Ben said. "I’ve done a lot of charity work there. Every time, it’s just been fun. It hasn’t really felt like a drag."
Ben is collecting wearable shoes to donate to Cradles to Crayons until mid-November.
"Anything that isn’t completely destroyed or has rips in it, we will absolutely take, and that will be amazing and you’re making a huge impact," he noted. "That’s one less kid that doesn’t have shoes. It’s just cool to know how much of an impact you can make on these kids, because even if you don’t have to deal with it, and you’re fortunate enough for that, there’s always someone that could use some help."
Anyone looking to donate can email bshoecleaningco@gmail.com.
WBZ's Suzanne Sausville (@WBZSausville) reports.
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