Children were unable to attend school for more than three months because of the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic.
That meant teachers weren't available to provide information to the Sneaker Project about which students needed new shoes, said Lorie Smith, the local nonprofit's executive director.
The organization distributes free shoes to children in lower-income families.
To overcome the obstacle, Smith reached out to United Way of Central Missouri partner agencies to connect with students who needed new shoes.
On Monday, 71 pairs of new shoes drop-shipped to students who needed them. Thirty-six of those pairs shipped to the Boys & Girls Club of Jefferson City, where staff distributed them.