Charity Started By Fort Worth Police Officer Gives Free Shoes to Hundreds of Families

Hundreds of Fort Worth families got free shoes Friday thanks to the generosity of a police officer.

Families showed up at Carter Park Elementary School, where they received free clothing, hamburgers, and shoes. Lots of shoes.

Police Chief Neil Noakes helped give them away – and even washed the feet of some grateful recipients.

Charity Started By Fort Worth Police Officer Gives Free Shoes to Hundreds of Families

It’s all the work of a charity called Fort Worth Metro, which Officer Buddy Calzada and his wife Ruth started nearly 30 years ago.

“These kids are getting a great summer sendoff,” Calzada said. "We're just officers with a big heart who love to take care of families."

Metro stands for Mobile Effort to Reach Our City, an outreach program that helps families in poor neighborhoods.

The shoe giveaway continues Saturday at noon at Rosedale Park in the Stop Six neighborhood.

"There are so many kids that look this way or that way at police," Calzada said. "Right here they don't."