A child’s foot plunges into the icy water of a Michigan winter’s puddle and is hit with a shock of bitter cold with no boot protects them.

For too many kids this is reality. The Health Alliance Plan’s (HAP) Boots for Kids collection is dedicated to making that a thing of the past for kids in need in the Flint, Saginaw and Bay City areas.

Now in its ninth year, this HAP program aims to collect 1,000 pairs of boots through March 31.  Since the program began in 2008, it has kept the feet of 3,000 kids in shelters and community agencies warm and dry throughout the Genesee, Saginaw, Bay, Lapeer and St. Clair Counties during the cold and bitter Michigan winters.

“There are just so many kids in need, it is our pleasure as a local business to support these families,” says Tom Spring, director, wellness and community relations at HAP. “It is our goal to be good neighbors and partners with groups like Priority Children, who donate their time to help the cause. All we need now is the help of other businesses to dig deep to help make this year’s drive a success.”

You can help, too,

If you have some brand new boots you want to donate all you have to do is look for the HAP’s Boots for Kids-branded box at any of the 10 businesses, retailers and churches in the Flint, Saginaw and Bay City areas.

Here are the locations:

Bay City

Moulthrop Clift Insurance

701 N. Madison

Bay City, MI 48708

Monday to Friday: 8 a.m. – 5 p.m.

 

Fenton

Biggby Coffee 235

North Leroy St., Suite A

Fenton, MI 48430

Monday – Saturday: 6 a.m. – 10 p.m.; Sunday: 7 a.m. – 10 p.m.

 

Flint

Biggby Coffee

3093 Linden Rd.

Flint, MI 48507

Monday – Saturday: 6 a.m. – 10 p.m.

Sunday:  7 a.m. – 10 p.m.

 

Blackmore Rowe

G-6235 Corunna Rd., Suite H

Flint, MI 48532

Monday to Thursday: 8:30 a.m. – 5 p.m.

Friday: 8:30 a.m. – 4:30 p.m.

 

Flint Firebirds

Dort Event Center

3501 Lapeer Rd.

Flint, MI 48503

Monday – Friday: 9 a.m. – 4:30 p.m.

Saturday-Sunday: 7 a. m – 8 p.m.

 

Health Alliance Plan

2050 S. Linden Rd. Suite C

Flint, MI 48532

Monday – Thursday: 9 a.m. – 5 p.m.

 

Saint Mary’s Church

2500 N. Franklin

Flint, MI 48506

Monday – Friday: 9 a.m. – 4 p.m.

Saturday: 4 p.m. – 6 p.m.

Sunday: 10 a.m. – 12 p.m.

 

Grand Blanc

Lake Agency

1537 E. Hill Rd.

Grand Blanc, MI 48439

Monday – Friday: 8:30 a.m. – 5 p.m.

 

Lapeer

American Retirement Solutions

Joseph N. Vitale

3546 South Lapeer Rd., Suite D

Metamora, MI 48455

Monday – Friday: 9 a.m. – 5 p.m.

 

H & H Tool

3200 John Conley Dr.

Lapeer, MI 48446

Monday – Friday: 8 a.m. – 5:30 p.m.

 

Lapeer Area Chamber of Commerce

108 W. Park St.

Lapeer, MI 48446

Monday – Friday: 9 a.m. – 5 p.m

Please watch for new donation stations in the next few weeks. You can find updates by clicking here.

If you don’t have boots to donate, you can still help out.  HAP is collecting money to buy boots for the kids.

Monetary donations can be made at www.hap.org/bootsforkids. Checks should be made payable to “Priority Children/HAP’s Boots for Kids.” Priority Children is a 501(c)3 organization that works to improve the quality of life for children and families and acts as the fiduciary for HAP’s Boots for Kids.

“All contributions, including boots and monetary donations, stay in the local community in which they’re made,” Spring says.

HAP also participates in several additional community events, initiatives and organizations such as the HAP Crim Festival of Races, the Flint Famer’s Market, the Crim Fitness Foundation, Priority Children, Whaley Children’s Center and Hurley Medical Center to help improve the well-being of area residents.

For more information or to make a donation, please click here.

  Boots for Kids, HAP