Kansas City, Missouri is home to One Pair, a sneaker store that is owned by black youngsters, ages 14 and up. It is also a clothing store that sells local brands also offers sneaker cleaning and customisation services.
Opened a year ago, One Pair is also an education center that is run by local youth that teaches financial literacy, and practical life experience.
Unfortunately in this day and age, no good deed goes unpunished as on the night of November 9, One Pair was broken into and all their inventory was taken.
Jerren Thornhill, founder of One Pair, said this:
About a 110-, 120-plus shoes stolen. Classic shoes, new shoes, used shoes, shoes we customized, shoes worth a lot of money…Empty shoe racks, stolen livelihood, something that the youth created.
KJ Farmer, one of the youth owners, who was obviously dejected had this to say about the theft:
“Sometimes you just have to laugh to keep from crying. We are trying to bless more people; the holidays were coming up and we planned to give out shoes. So, to really take it away from the people in the community-its bigger than us. It’s not a monetary value loss. They took our dignity; they took the hard work and countless hours we can’t get back the effort.”
Thornhill said if the thieves would have come to them, they would have helped them.
“If they would have known that One Pair is a chance, we provide that chance for everybody, they could have come and asked us for the opportunity for some shoes, for some clothes,
Despite the heinous actions of these crumbums ,Thornhill is maintaining a positive outlook.
“You know they say, ‘You build it they will come’ — not just good, bad, too. You get tripped all the time, but it’s about getting up looking forward and keep pushing.”
Mr. Thornhill said $50,000 worth of merchandise was stolen and the theft was caught on camera.
The Kansas City Police Department investigating the burglary, but no arrests have been made yet.
To help rebuild the store, One Pair has started a GoFundMe.
