One day last Fall, after learning from his dad about the devastating hurricane in Haiti, Trey decided he wanted to help the people who were affected. Together they searched for a charity to bring to Del Sur that would do just that. They discovered Soles4Souls, a global social enterprise dedicated to fighting poverty through the collection and distribution of shoes and clothing. Before he knew it, Trey’s little idea had inspired and motivated caring kids from all around Del Sur to help kids in need all the way around the world. Here is his inspiring story . . .
TREY • THE VOLUNTEER “Our first step in planning this fundraiser was to send out an email to the parents of all my friends in the neighborhood and on my soccer team. It was awesome having so many of my friends meeting at the park wanting to come help. Some even brought their brothers and sisters. My friend's dads were a big help in driving us around to drop off fliers and bags the 1st Saturday we met, and then again the next Saturday to pick up shoes. It was awesome! I really enjoyed spending time with my friends and collecting the shoes from the doorsteps. It was exciting to see all of the shoes start adding up as we collected them. We collected over 400 pairs of shoes. We were hoping that a lot of people would contribute to our cause, and they did! We had calls coming in all day long and even the next couple of days from people still hoping to donate. My mom boxed up all of the shoes for us. I also set up a fundraising site online to raise money for shipping the shoes to Haiti, with leftovers going to Soles4Soles - http://fund.soles4souls.org/delsurkicks4kids
Soles4Soles sent me a letter about how they appreciated our donation to their charity. They told us to be proud of our efforts with their mission of ‘Wearing Out Poverty’. Once the shoes got to Haiti, Soles4Soles said they would send us pictures of the people of Haiti receiving our shoes. Their homes and their things were completely destroyed, so providing them shoes hopefully made their day a little better. I was very excited and happy to be helping people who were in need and I could tell it affected most of my friends the same way. It also felt good working together for a cause. Even though it was a lot of time and effort, I would encourage everyone to do something like this in their lifetime because it strongly affects your character and makes you feel more caring for others.”
TREY • THE BOY Trey Scott Coleman is eleven years old and is in Mrs. Epperson’s 5th grade. He has a little brother named Dash, and enjoys playing sports and spending time with his family and friends on the weekends. He specifically loves competitive soccer and Little League baseball. He also plays the trumpet, tinkers with electronics, and enjoys socializing, reading, card tricks, and solving the Rubik’s Cube. One of his role models is a Portuguese soccer player named Cristiano Ronaldo, whom he admires not only because he is such a great soccer player, but also because he donates money to charity and hospitals. Trey would love a chance to meet with him to discuss his soccer skills and awesome goals scored! When he grows up, Trey would like to be a professional soccer player or an architect. He says that he is a caring and good friend, always making sure to comfort and help others when they need it. He loves having so many friends at school and especially loves recess because he gets to play sports with his pals. He says his friends would describe him as athletic, social, friendly, funny, and brave. He believes that what makes him unique is a mixture of being very competitive, determined, and strong willed, but also his love of having fun, being funny, and laughing a lot. His greatest strengths as a student are reading and math. He really likes his teacher, Mrs. Epperson, and loves participating in her Read Across America Challenge. His favorite book so far is Booked, by Kwame Alexander, and he is also reading The Book Thief at the moment.
Trey also happens to be the president of Del Sur Elementary School! He enjoys his presidential duties and believes good leadership requires being confident and responsible. He says leading others takes a lot of courage and responsibility to get things done well and on time. “I think that all of the Student Council here at Del Sur Elementary are good leaders because at the meetings that I have been to, they have all been participating a lot and focused on the task.”
TREY • THE EXPLORER “I am so proud of Trey and his tireless efforts to serve his classroom, school, and community. It makes me smile from ear to ear to hear that he's being recognized for such a noble cause. Trey is a true leader in all he does and is a role model for all those around him. Bravo, Trey!” -Margaret Epperson