Smith Lake Nonprofit Spotlight - Listerhill Foundation "Kicks for Kids"

​Listerhill Credit Union continues to spark interest in the community through a program designed to give back to the local communities by focusing on the needs of school children.

This was evident as they prepared for their ninth Kicks for Kids event since the program’s inception – a “shoe drop” at Meek Elementary School. Angela Scott, Director of Philanthropy for Listerhill Credit Union, said that Listerhill and its Kicks for Kids program have been very successful in raising awareness and collecting donations for school kids in the area.

The first event was held on January 28, 2020 - a shoe drop that was held at Leighton Elementary School, not far from Listerhill’s headquarters in Muscle Shoals.

“With the help from other partnerships, we were able to supply 402 students with brand new athletic shoes,” Scott said. “Following that event, the Kicks for Kids program was alive and growing!”

The Listerhill Foundation's main philanthropic focus is the Kicks for Kids events. After only three years of working toward this goal, Kicks for Kids has impacted thousands of children and families in the community.

“In 2019, we began thinking about how we could make a greater impact and started to brainstorm what philanthropic effort we wanted to focus on,” said Scott. “Immediately, we knew that we wanted to provide a tangible item to students in our local schools. Through months of research, we identified a need that was currently not being met by any other nonprofit in our area and that was providing new brand name shoes to students in need. This is when Kicks for Kids was born.”

By March 25, 2021, their Listerhill Foundation was officially approved as a 501(c)(3), creating more fundraising opportunities for the program. This led to the launch of a shoe locker program for local schools so each school could distribute shoes at their own discretion, Scott explained.

“Our employees, members and community immediately jumped into action by donating as well as volunteering. This has enabled us to host nine shoe drops and deliver over 3,100 shoes to several schools throughout our service area,” Scott said. “Kicks for Kids and the Listerhill Foundation have allowed Listerhill to actively live our mission of improving lives in the communities we serve. We are beyond proud of this program and continue to strive daily to impact the missions of Listerhill, the Listerhill Foundation and Kicks for Kids.”

​Matt Lyle, Market Development President at Listerhill, touched on how the program’s success and passion falls back on the employees at Listerhill.

“The shoe drop events are funded by the foundation through community donations and partnerships, so it takes true teamwork and effort to put something like this together,” Lyle said. “It’s some of the most meaningful work I’ve ever been a part of and it’s great to work with an organization like Listerhill who truly cares about investing in their communities. Our regional manager, Mary Beth Caldwell, is a Smith Lake resident who also plays a critical role to ensure the recent events were a success.”

More information about Listerhill Credit Union and its philanthropic projects are accessible at www.listerhill.com/community. To donate to the Foundation’s Kicks for Kids program or learn how to get involved in any way, visit the website and/or contact Angela Scott directly as [email protected]. We also encourage you to support and follow Listerhill on Instagram (@listerhillcu) and Facebook.