Nicholas Lowinger

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For Nicholas Lowinger, having a comfy pair of shoes is as important as having just the right size of clothing. Shoes can be a source of embarrassment and can trigger bullying. A good pair of shoes can motivate a person to go out there and mingle, confident and comfortable in his/her footwear. At five years old, he gave away shoes he had outgrown. But shoes that don’t fit defeat the purpose. So when he was only 10 years old, he founded Gotta Have Sole, a foundation that gives away new shoes that perfectly fit kids and teens in homeless shelters.

Achievements

Why Nicholas Lowinger is Extraordinary

Nicholas Lowinger was only 5 years old when he realized that kids at the homeless shelters are being denied comfortable shoes by their circumstances. Kids dread going to school because they don’t have decent shoes to wear. They get bullied and teased. Some who can endure the unfriendly treatment do not do well in school because they share shoes with a sibling. So shoes really make a big impact on a kid’s self-esteem. Being a kid himself, Nicholas knew how it felt to be given a new pair of shoes. He endeavored on a quest to get underprivileged kids and teens access to brand new and quality footwear.

GOTTA HAVE SOLE GROWS

Since its founding in 2010, Gotta Have Sole—an organization that started out of a Bar Mitzvah compliance—has grown into a nationwide nonprofit with 500 volunteers helping 13,500 homeless children from 32 states get new shoes that fit.

It’s been a rough ride for Nicholas who has school to focus on. He wouldn’t have done this without his supportive parents. His mom, Lori, speaks in schools when he cannot make it for academic reasons. They receive donations from shoe manufacturers and cash from kindhearted donors. Cash is used to purchase quality shoes that are not available in the family garage, their shoe warehouse.

Nicholas has inspired other kids to do something in their capacity to help. There was one boy who received brand new shoes from Gotta Have Sole. He was so touched by their good deed that he began writing letters to military servicemen and even got other kids in the shelter involved in his project. Students also help out in designing sneakers and writing out cards to the beneficiaries. What makes this really touching is the effort that goes into every pair of shoe they give to each child. It’s personalized. The shelters give Gotta Have Sole the names and corresponding shoe size of their kids. When they deliver the shoes, they call out the names of each kid to receive their new shoes. Sometimes, Nicholas himself hands the shoe to a beaming boy or girl.

He’s received recognitions for the work that he’s been doing. A year after founding Gotta Have Sole, Nicholas received the Rhode Island Jefferson Award, the Hasbro Community Action Hero Award, the Youth Leader Award from the Women's Center of Rhode Island, and the Rainbow Award from Street Sights. In 2012, he received the Rhode Island Prudential Spirit of Community Award and the Presidential Volunteer Service Gold Level, aside from being included in Farm Rich Kids Who Give. The following were the awards he received in 2013: the Muhammad Ali Humanitarian Award, the Diller Teen Tikkun Olam Award, the Myra Kraft Community MVP Award, the Youth Service Challenge Award, and the 1st Prize in the Peace First Prize given by Peace a First. He was named Make A Difference Day National Honoree, Global Teen Leader by We Are Family Foundation, Kohl’s Cares Regional & National Winner, and a CNN Hero.

Looking back, it’s hard to believe how far he has now gone from the 5-year-old who gave out hand-me-downs to homeless kids. Who would have thought that he’d pick up where he left off and make more kids happy by giving them comfortable footwear? Hopefully, with those shoes, the kids will go places.

Top Reasons why Nicholas Lowinger is Extraordinary

At 11, he came up with idea for Gotta Have Sole and at 12, founded the organization.
From being a school and religious requirement, Gotta Have Sole has grown into a 501(c)(3) organization with over 2,000 volunteers.
Gotta Have Sole has helped bring comfy shoes to 13,500 homeless children in 32 states of the Unites of America.
They currently have 2 new initiatives, namely SOLEdiers and Serving Love. Both are off-shoots of the success of the Gotta Have Sole shoe drive.
Before he turned 15 years old, he's been invited to speak about his organization in big events.
He is one of CNN Heroes: Everyday People Changing the World 2013.
He received the Rhode Island Jefferson Award, the Hasbro Community Action Hero Award, the Youth Leader Award from the Women's Center of Rhode Island, and the Rainbow Award from Street Sights in 2011.
In 2012, he was awarded the Rhode Island Prudential Spirit of Community Award, Build-A-Bear Workshop's Huggabale Hero Award, and the Presidential Volunteer Service Gold Level, aside from being included in Farm Rich Kids Who Give.
He received the Muhammad Ali Humanitarian Award, the Diller Teen Tikkun Olam Award, the Myra Kraft Community MVP Award, the Youth Service Challenge Award, Gloria Barron Award for Young Heroes, and the 1st Prize in the Peace First Prize given by Peace a First in 2013.
He was named Make A Difference Day National Honoree, Global Teen Leader by We Are Family Foundation, and Kohl’s Cares Regional & National Winner.

Biography

Biography of Nicholas Lowinger

Date of Birth: | Born in: / Nationality: United States of America

A new pair of shoes does not fail to make our day. Five-year-old Nicholas Lowinger was equally thrilled when he received light-up shoes from his parents. He could not wait to show it off to other kids in the shelter he and his mother were visiting. His mother knowingly advised him against wearing the new shoes because the place where they were going to was not a place to brag. Being the obedient boy that he was, he conceded. Upon seeing what the kids wore as shoes in the shelter, Nicholas fully understood what his mother meant.

The kids had tattered shoes, some were even barefoot. Obviously, shoes were not their priority. Parents in the shelter struggle with having to feed their kids every day, most of them did not know where to get food for the next day. How could they still think of getting them new shoes?

But the kids go to school. This is where the need for shoes is greatly felt. Some had to skip because it’s a sibling’s turn to wear the universal pair. It didn’t matter if the shoes were meant for girls or boys. They could not be choosy under the tight circumstances, could they? Male kids get teased by their classmates for wearing women’s shoes. Those who could not take the embarrassment just opt to give up school altogether.

So shoes can actually affect a person’s’ self-esteem—build it or shatter it. A decent pair of shoes that fits can give the wearer a sense of confidence. An ill-fitted pair of shoes, on the other hand, may cause the wearer to stay far away from the limelight. As young as he was, Nicholas was able to realize that there was a serious demand for shoes to be supplied to kids and teens whose parents, or lack thereof, deny them a comfy footwear. Most parents had no choice but leave out shoes and have their kids make do with what’s around because they have more needs to address. Is a pair of shoe more important than food?

That’s where Nicholas’ Gotta Have Soles come in. They provide kids and teens with brand new pair of shoes and make them ready to face the day more confidently. From being a school and religious requirement, Gotta Have Soles has grown into a nonprofit organization that has revolutionized charity work, helped young people start all over again, and relieved parents who had no means to provide their kids’ basic needs. In the words of Nicholas himself, “Not bad for a 13-year-old.”

EARLY LIFE

Nicholas Lowinger was born to Daniel and Lori Lowinger in Rhode Island. He was raised in a Jewish home. His great, great grandfather was in the shoe business, while his father’s first job was designing shoes. Both his mother and grandmother love shoes. For as long as he could remember, shoes are something he abundantly had. With his parents being able to provide for him, he was never in want of shoes.

Lori was active in social work. She would always bring little Nicholas with her as often as she could whenever she visits shelters in the hope of teaching him how to appreciate what he has. But Lori herself would be surprised at how quickly Nicholas learned compassion and became a young humanitarian.

FOUNDING GOTTA HAVE SOLE

When he was 5 years old, Lori brought Nicholas to a shelter for the homeless. While in the car, Nicholas was excitedly telling his mom how thrilled the kids would be when they see his light up shoes. As naïve as he was, Nicholas thought the kids would be impressed to see something as cool as his new pair of shoes. Lori patiently explained to her son that they are headed to a place where people didn’t have enough, so showing off would be inappropriate.

Nicholas fully understood what Lori meant as soon as he began mingling with other children. He told a reporter:

"I saw other kids my age who looked just like me. The only difference was, they were wearing old, tattered shoes that were falling apart. Some didn't have a pair of shoes to call their own. I've been very fortunate to grow up in a family that is able to provide me with whatever I need. A lot of kids here in the U.S. don't have the same opportunities." (SOURCE: Houston Style Magazine)

For a 5-year-old boy, it came as a shock to him that some kids did not have what he had. Kids would wear shoes that were either too big or too small for them. Their parents neither had the time nor the resources to give them a comfortable pair of shoes. Food would always come first. Sadly, that’s all their parents could afford.

Going to school was something kids worry about. Boys get teased or bullied because they wore shoes for women. Siblings would take turns wearing their sneakers, making their grades suffer because of truancy. Some teens were too embarrassed to wear shoes that did not fit them, so they just opted to drop school. A simple need such as a decent pair of shoes has a big impact on someone’s day to day experience as realized by the young Nicholas.

He did not waste time. The mother and son tandem rushed home and collected slightly used clothes and shoes to donate to kids in the shelter. Nicholas was happy to help. But as he gave the shoes away, he wondered if he was really able to do something because the shoes he gave were not the actual size of the recipients. One boy asked if he could have his boots. He happily obliged but was saddened because the boy’s feet were way too small for his boots. He knew he had to do something more.

When he turned 11 years old, Nicholas had to prepare for what Jewish tradition calls Bar Mitzvah, a coming of age ceremony. He needed to get involved in social projects to be of service to others. He knew what to do then. He asked shoe manufacturers if they could give shoes to kids in the shelters and also aksed help from donor who might be willing to shell out cash or give time to volunteer. He passed the requirement with flying colors. But he was not in it just for the grades. With the help of his parents, they established Gotta Have Sole. It’s a foundation that aims to distribute brand new shoes—that fit—to homeless kids and teens.

The Lowingers decided to keep the initiative going. During the first year, they were able to collect around 1100 pairs of shoes. The volunteers help to match the sizes with what the shelters forward to the organization. Depending on his availability, Nicholas would go with them to help distribute shoes.

The organization has since then became a 501(c)(3) organization that receives donations from companies with tax credit. Now, Nicholas’ Gotta Have Sole has helped 13,500 homeless kids and teenagers in shelters spanning 32 states. Gotta Have Sole has grown to have two major projects namely SOLEdiers and Serving Love.

Nicholas explains them in his website:

SOLEdiers, I launched this program in April 2013 to honor my grandfather, who is a WWII veteran. SOLEdiers provides gift cards to footwear retailers to our nation’s veterans who are living on or below the poverty line so they can purchase the footwear they need. This program also donates new footwear for their children. Through Operation Stand Down RI, I have donated gift cards to 65 veterans, and will be donating gift cards to over 500 veterans during their upcoming retreat scheduled for September 20-22 at Diamond Hill Park in Cumberland, RI. While currently available in RI and soon-to-be MA, plans are underway to take this program nationally.

Serving Love, a new program I launched in the fall of 2012 donates new sporting footwear to children from disadvantaged homes, who want to play sports but lack the proper footwear to do so. I am currently working with a local non-profit in RI that provides tennis lessons at no charge... (SOURCE: Gotta Have Sole)

Organizations and Programmes Supported

Operation Stand Down RI
Serving Love
Serving Love
SOLEdiers
Gotta Have Sole
National Day of Service and Remembrance

Awards and Achievements

2010: Founded Gotta Have Sole
2011: Won Rhode Island Jefferson Award
2011: Received the Hasbro Community Action Hero Award
2011: Received Youth Leader Award from the Women's Center of Rhode Island
2011: Received the Rainbow Award from Street Sights
2012: Received the Rhode Island Prudential Spirit of Community Award
2012: Launched Serving Love
2012: Named Build-A-Bear Huggable Hero
2012: Included in Farm Rich Kids Who Give
2012: Recipient of the Presidential Volunteer Service Gold Level
2013: Launched SOLEdiers
2013: Received the Muhammad Ali Humanitarian Award
2013: Received the Diller Teen Tikkun Olam Award
2013: Received the Myra Kraft Community MVP Award
2013: Named Make A Difference Day National Honoree
2013: Named Global Teen Leader by We Are Family Foundation
2013: Named Kohl’s Cares Regional & National Winner
2013: Won Youth Service Challenge Award
2013: Named one of CNN Heroes
2013: Awarded the Peace First Prize from Peace a First

RESOURCES:
Business Innovation Factory (Nicholas Lowinger)
Gotta Have Sole (About)
Gotta Have Sole (History)
Facebook (Gotta Have Sole Foundation, Inc.)
Gotta Have Sole (Awards & Recognition)
Gotta Have Sole (2nd Annual Tennis Tournament)
CNN (Helping homeless kids put their best foot forward)
Samaritan Mag (Teen CNN Heroes Nominee Nicholas Lowinger Expands Gotta Have Sole)
Huffington Post (Lesson From NYPD's Larry DePrimo: How You Can Donate Shoes To Homeless)
Cranston Patch (Founder of Charity, 14, Recognized for Work Providing Shoes to Homeless Kids)
Inspire my Kids (Nicholas Lowinger – Incredible Teen Has Sole for the Homeless)
Go Local Prov 9Gotta Have Sole: Teen Non-Profit Entrepreneur Nicholas Lowinger)
Houston Style Magazine (Helping Homeless Kids Put Their Best Foot Forward)
Be A Social Entrepreneur (Nick Lowinger, Founder of the Gotta Have Sole Foundation)
Book Fare (Toastworthy Teens - Nicholas Lowinger)
USA Today (9-11 Day of Service: Nick Lowinger steps up to give homeless children new shoes)

Gallery

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Official Sites

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Official Website: GottaHaveSole.org

Facebook: Gotta Have Sole Foundation, Inc.

Twitter: Nick Lowinger

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