Payless ShoeSource announced on Feb. 18 that it would be closing all its U.S. stores by the end of May, leaving some local organizations scrambling to use up swaths of pre-purchased and donated Payless gift cards while they still can.
Shoes for Students, a decades-old nonprofit that provides families throughout the Santa Maria Valley with gift cards for children’s shoes and clothes, has long partnered with Payless to achieve its mission of providing low-income children with adequate clothing for school.
Shoes for Students alone still has more than 100 Payless gift cards it has yet to distribute, according to Maggie White, board president of Shoes for Students. That’s not including the many unused cards already in the hands of teachers and counselors at local schools.
In its statement, Payless said it would stop accepting gift cards after March 11, leaving the organization with little time to get its remaining cards distributed and used.
“There’s no way we’re going to not spend these cards in a way that will benefit children,” White told the Sun. “But we do have a tight deadline.”
Payless offers discounts to buyers purchasing gift cards in bulk during certain times of the year, and White said Shoes for Students typically takes advantage of the deal. The organization, using donations and money made during annual fundraisers, buys thousands of $30 gift cards to Payless each year, which are then distributed to schools, homeless shelters, and other organizations that give them to families throughout the school year.
Now, White said she’s asking educators to actively search for and reach out to kids in need of shoes. If necessary, White said Shoes for Students officials may even take the cards in themselves and stock up on shoes in different sizes and styles so that they can be given to children later in the year.
Payless said in its statement that despite best efforts to address challenges of the rapidly changing retail industry, the company remained “ill-equipped” to survive, with too much remaining debt and too large a store footprint, leading the company to close its doors.
All 2,500 Payless stores in North America, including two Santa Maria locations, will be closed within the next few months.
It’s still unclear which footwear store Shoes for Students will partner with once Payless is gone, White said, but in the meantime, the organization will stick to giving out Walmart gift cards, which it already does sometimes for families in need of other clothing items.
Still, White said Payless has always offered the best prices on cards and shoes. That, plus the helpful clerks at Santa Maria’s locations, who White said often work to find customers additional discounts and coupons, have always allowed Shoes for Students recipients to get the most out of their money.
“I feel really bad for Shoes for Students and the students in our area who won’t be able to find inexpensive shoes as readily,” White said, “but I also feel bad for the employees at Payless because they’ve been so great to work with.”
The Good Samaritan Shelter was in a similar situation, said Alexis Nshamamba, quality assurance and training manager for the shelter.
Though Nshamamba said the nonprofit had already used up its Payless gift cards from Shoes for Students, it had a few hundred unused Payless cards from a separate donation.
Nshamamba said the shelter planned to spend all of its cards on Feb. 20.
Staff Writer Kasey Bubnash writes School Scene each week. Information can be sent to the Sun via mail, fax, or email at mail@santamariasun.com.
This article appears in Feb 28 – Mar 7, 2019.