A Wichita student desperately needed a new pair of shoes. The ones he wore to school had holes in them, but when offered a new pair, his first concern wasn’t how they looked or whether they fit.
It was his mother’s reaction.
“Would you please tell my mom I did not ask for these?” the boy asked, according to Benita Chaplin, co-founder of T.O.U.C.H. Closet.
Chaplin assured him the school social worker would explain that the assistance had been offered and that he hadn’t requested anything.
For Chaplin, the encounter was a reminder that poverty affects families in ways that aren’t always visible.
“If a parent has to decide whether they’re going to keep the lights on or whether they’re going to buy some shoes, we know that it’s not a choice,” Chaplin said.
That understanding is at the heart of T.O.U.C.H. Closet, a Wichita nonprofit founded in 2018 that provides shoes, coats, socks and undergarments to students experiencing difficult circumstances.
Now in its eighth year, the organization has served an estimated 600 to 700 students, according to its founders, Chaplin and Sarah Demby.
A Lifetime of Serving Children
For Chaplin and Demby, helping children didn’t begin with T.O.U.C.H. Closet. Both women spent decades witnessing the challenges facing families, and both opened their homes to young people who needed support.
Chaplin worked more than three decades in the court system. Her work exposed her to families facing eviction and children involved in child-in-need-of-care cases.
She recalled seeing parents arrive at the courthouse with children who lacked basic necessities.
But her compassion didn’t stop at the courthouse doors.
Chaplin said she and her family welcomed at least seven young people into their home over the years, allowing them to stay as long as they needed without going through the formal foster care system or receiving financial assistance.
Demby developed a similar commitment to helping children through her 37 years working at Wesley Healthcare and her experiences raising a family.
She recalled how her home became a gathering place for her children’s friends, including some who didn’t always have enough food or other necessities at home.
The family provided meals, clothing, transportation to basketball practice and, when necessary, a place where young people could feel supported.
Her husband, a retired police officer who served as a school resource officer, also worked closely with young people.
“It’s just what I know. It’s what I do,” Demby said.
Their shared passion eventually grew into something that would reach children throughout Wichita.
The idea for T.O.U.C.H. Closet emerged from homeless outreach through New Beginning Seventh-day Adventist Church.
While serving people experiencing homelessness in downtown Wichita, Chaplin and Demby noticed something often overlooked: children were among those struggling.
After retiring in 2017, Chaplin began considering her next chapter. She thought about opening a business but ultimately contacted Demby about starting a nonprofit focused on children.
Demby agreed.
In 2018, the women launched T.O.U.C.H. Closet with approximately $100, purchasing around 70 pairs of tennis shoes during a Payless clearance sale.
Although those shoes were eventually donated to a youth shelter, the founders decided they wanted their organization to provide name-brand footwear that could withstand an entire school year.
That commitment remains central to their work.
“We’re not putting anything on anybody else’s students’ feet that we wouldn’t put on our grandchildren’s feet,” Chaplin said.
What began with two school partnerships has grown to 20 Wichita Public Schools, including Hamilton, Mueller, Gordon Parks, Rosedale, West High and North High.
More Than Shoes, It’s About Dignity
Unlike a traditional clothing closet, T.O.U.C.H. Closet operates through referrals submitted by school social workers, counselors and other authorized school personnel.
There are no income guidelines, and families aren’t required to explain the circumstances that created their need.
One referral can cover every K–12 student in a household, even if the children attend different schools.
Students at partner schools receiving footwear are offered a choice between two pairs of name-brand shoes. Each pair comes with five pairs of socks.
Depending on their needs, students may also receive coats, underwear, T-shirts, sports bras or hoodies.
The founders believe those choices matter because children experiencing hardship still deserve to feel confident and respected.
Chaplin recalled meeting students who had never received a pair of shoes directly from a shoebox. Others had shoes with soles separating from the tops, yet continued attending school.
Some students become so excited about receiving new shoes that their reactions have become lasting memories.
The organization also tries to accommodate individual needs.
In one instance, a school social worker requested Crocs for a student with sensory difficulties. In another case, a high school student requested boots because he walked to school and worried about winter weather.
They believe their work can also help reduce bullying, build self-esteem and relieve some of the financial pressure on families.
“If we focus on the students, the parents can focus on the crisis,” Chaplin said.
Growing Impact and Building a Lasting Legacy
T.O.U.C.H. Closet has expanded its reach steadily, with the founders estimating that they served more than 100 students during each of the previous two school years.
This school year, they introduced an open-voucher program for students attending USD 259 schools outside their 20 regular partnerships.
The program initially offered 15 vouchers, but a $3,700 donation helped increase the number to 35. Approximately 20 had been used at the time of the interview, with plans to replenish them as resources allow.
Requests are typically fulfilled within 24 to 72 hours, often by the following day. Chaplin, who personally handles many deliveries, said she has responded to urgent requests within hours.
“Our goal is not to be a warehouse. Our goal is to put shoes on feet,” she said.
The organization operates without paying rent for its storage space, thanks to New Beginning Seventh-day Adventist Church. Financial support comes from individual donors, churches, community contributions and employee charitable-giving programs.
Chaplin and Demby especially appreciate donors such as Glenda Turner, a senior citizen on a fixed income who contributes monthly.
They say those contributions reflect the community’s growing belief in their mission.
Their work has also received public recognition, including a 2020 Everyday Hero honor through Wichita’s Difference Makers program and a 2025 Kansas Department of Commerce nonprofit merit award.
Looking ahead, the founders hope to expand their impact through additional community support.
They are in the early planning stages of the 2027 T.O.U.C.H. Gala, a black-tie fundraising event intended to bring businesses, organizations and community members together in support of Wichita students.
But for Chaplin, the organization’s long-term vision extends beyond fundraising or the number of shoes distributed.
She hopes the children receiving help today will one day be in a position to help someone else.
The organization’s name, Touching Others Until Change Happens, reflects that belief.
Chaplin said she prayed for a name that carried meaning and represented something that could continue long after the founders were gone.
“While we can’t touch every student, we can touch one student at a time. One family at a time.”
Demby shares that commitment.
“We are just women of God doing God’s work through our love of children,” she said.
For both women, the greatest reward isn’t an award or public recognition. It’s seeing the expression on a child’s face when they realize the new shoes in front of them are theirs to keep.
For more information about the T.O.U.C.H. Closet, visit www.thetouchcloset.org.
