 For someone living on the streets, a pair of new shoes is about more than just health. It's about dignity. That's why Have a Soul, an LA-based nonprofit, is empowering thousands of at-risk youth and homeless people across the country. One pair of shoes at a time. In just four years, the organization has given out over 12,000 pairs of new and gently used shoes to people in need in over 20 cities. We caught up with founder Ricky Mendez to see the impact this simple act can make firsthand. A lot of shoes. A lot of shoes here. Passes to you. It's like Christmas. Ricky knows the impact of a pair of fresh kicks from personal experience. As a kid, Tough Times left Ricky and his mother homeless, and they spent years living in a shelter. Buying new shoes wasn't an option. But after a woman who'd lived in the shelter before them bought him two pairs of new van sneakers, his life changed forever. I got to a point where I had 150 pairs. I would probably just wear about three of them. But one day, restless and unsatisfied with where he was in life, Ricky made the decision to give them all away. And I decided to give away my shoe collection and take a picture of the person. The next day, I loaded up the car and now we're four years old and we've given out about 12,000 pairs of shoes. Since then, Have a Soul has grown into something much bigger than Ricky could have imagined. But whether they're putting on big events or just hitting the streets, the goal has always been the same. We invite them to take a look at all the sneakers that we have and their size. And then finally, they have the opportunity to choose. Ricky says that letting the people they serve actually pick between pairs of sneakers is a huge part of what they do. Being able to choose for themselves is something that's so small, but it's really significant. It's not gonna change their situation. But I think that we bring such a special energy that it does change maybe their outlook, at least for a day. We all have a pair of shoes we don't wear. So if you wanna get involved, you can start by taking them out of your closet and donating them to someone in your community. You can support Have a Soul by donating shoes or money and by following their Instagram to find out where in the country they're doing outreach next. For UpRocks, I'm Frankie Greek.