BROWNSTOWN — As prices increase, so does the need.

That’s what Becca Hattabaugh and her mother, Becky Wilson, discovered during their 12th year of the Warm Hearts Warm Toes project.

For the second year in a row, the number of shoes they provided to Brownstown and Crothersville students topped 150, which is a record in the history of the initiative.

“At one time, these shoes were about $10, $11, and now, they are like $20. I think that’s why it was so tough this year,” Hattabaugh said. “It’s just difficult. Prices are going up, and I can understand why families can’t afford it.”

They recently delivered more than 80 pairs of shoes to Brownstown Elementary School and 30 to Crothersville Elementary School, and the rest went to Brownstown Central Middle School.

School officials are seeing the increased need, too.

“I’ve had families reach out to me and say, ‘We’ve never had to do this before, but we need it,’” said Denise Stevens, a counselor at BES. “We’re literally having families that have never struggled before that are struggling now.”

She received help from Jill Miller in asking students what size shoes and socks they need, and she saw how much they were needed.

“I have kids come in and their toes are literally coming out of their shoes or the bottom is ripping off,” Stevens said. “It’s just crazy to think some kids want toys and all these things, but for some kids, new shoes are just amazing.”

Many of the kids asked her on a regular basis when the shoes were arriving.

“They’ll come to me and say, ‘Mrs. Stevens, when are our shoes going to be in? When are we getting our new shoes?’ and I told them, I’m like, ‘Oh, I think they’re coming in November,’” she said. “They are going to just be thrilled. They are super excited.”

At one point, Stevens asked Hattabaugh and Wilson if there was a cutoff on the number of shoes.

“They were like, ‘Oh, just let me know who needs shoes,’” Stevens said. “I really stuck with that because we do have kiddos that some of their basic needs are just hard to get because everything is super expensive now, and I think they do the best they can with what they have.”

Fortunately, there are people like Hattabaugh and Wilson who are willing to do what they can to help kids.

“We wouldn’t be able to do this if it wasn’t for amazing community members like them,” Stevens said. “I wish they could be here to see the kids appreciate it. … They are so appreciative. The kids are awesome. It’s just nice seeing a smile on their face. Some of the kids, that will be the best part of their week. Some of us have shoes in our closet we don’t even wear. We take that for granted, and I think that’s something it’s really impactful.”

For some kids, it could be the only new pair of shoes they receive this year.

“If your shoes don’t fit right or your shirt doesn’t fit right, you’re going to sit there all day messing with it, and I think that makes it hard to learn, too,” Stevens said. “I always feel like if their basic needs aren’t met, how do we expect them to really learn or give it their all? Maybe they are hungry or maybe their shoes are literally falling apart. Those kiddos, they do think about that.”

Hattabaugh said this initiative helps teachers, too.

“The teachers shouldn’t have to go use their funds for shoes, so that helps them, as well,” she said.

With the increased number of shoes this year, Hattabaugh and Wilson had to visit more Walmart stores in the area to find the sizes they needed. Whatever it takes to help the kids, they are all about it.

“I think this year has been the worst on sizes. We went everywhere to find new shoes,” Wilson said.

“But we don’t want that to be the reason why our numbers go down,” Hattabaugh said. “If it means we provide to half the school, that’s what we want to do.”

Again this year, they received financial support from Society of St. Vincent de Paul, an international Catholic organization that helps the poor. Plus, they received donations from The Peoples Bank, where Hattabaugh works, and individuals contributed their own money.

Hattabaugh received help from coworker Debbie Roll in sorting shoes, taking prices off and stuffing them with a couple pairs of socks.

“To sort through them, I needed the extra help to get that, and they are willing to jump in. They are like, ‘If you need anything, just let us know,’” Hattabaugh said of her coworkers. “I think next year, The Peoples Bank wants to get more on board. That is good community service, too.”

She and her mother would love to see other companies, groups and individuals contribute, too.

“We’re not going to stop it. We want to make sure that everyone gets what they need,” Hattabaugh said. “We do what we can to pick up the difference. We just want it to happen. I just want to keep doing it.”

Hattabaugh and Wilson told Stevens if other students need shoes and socks to let them know.

“That’s super, super appreciative,” Stevens said.

To contribute to the Warm Hearts Warm Toes project, contact Hattabaugh at 812-528-0316.