Drew's KICKS(Keeping It in the Community for Kids)

OUR MISSION

Drew’s K.I.C.K.S. will provide brand new sneakers/gym shoes for kindergarten to high school kids in need. Specifically for kids that live in the Minneapolis/St. Paul inner city communities.

OUR VISION

To be recognized as a valuable and trustworthy community resource that supports children and families in need, and to be instrumental in programming that helps build self-esteem and self-confidence in kindergarten to high school kids.

OUR GOAL

Our goal is to provide brand new sneakers for kids in need, specifically in the St. Paul/Minneapolis inner city communities. We all know how great we feel when we put on a new pair of shoes. We do not want kids feeling ashamed or embarrassed because they do not have a decent pair of shoes to wear to school. We know that there is a direct correlation of self-esteem in children that have new shoes, clothing and school supplies. With monetary donations, our goal is to identify those children and provide new shoes for them. Our goal is to also partner with other non-profit agencies, and in school resources that serve families and  children.

OUR STORY

Drew Balentine is a 16 year old student-athlete that attends Maranatha Christian Academy.  He understands the importance and biblical principle that it is better to give than receive. Since he was a little boy, Drew has always loved sneakers specifically basketball shoes. He is a true sneakerhead! Typically he would sell sneakers from his collection if he couldn’t fit the shoes any longer. But a few years ago, he had the opportunity to donate his shoes to kids in need at a community event in North Minneapolis. That opportunity, coupled with a recent discovery of being interested in public service, inspired the concept of Drew’s K.I.C.K.S.

OUR LEGACY

Drew comes from a long legacy of giving back and hard work. Both his maternal and paternal grandparents grew up picking cotton in Arkansas and Mississippi. Those same grandparents were also part of the historical movement the Great Migration, the relocation of six million African Americans from the rural South to cities of the North, Midwest, and west from 1916-1970. Once his grandparents settled in Minnesota, they became known for giving back to others in the community out of their own need. His paternal grandmother, Annie Balentine was known for helping others while living in project housing in North Minneapolis. His maternal grandparents, Ora and Mary Peeples fed, clothed and bathed hungry children in the inner city neighborhood of St. Paul. Drew’s K.I.C.K.S. will continue to honor this strong legacy by giving back to the community.