It’s an automatic part of daily life for most people: when they get dressed, they put their socks on. Then they put their shoes on.

Clean, dry socks make the feet feel good and shoes are just essential. Putting socks and shoes on is so routine many folks do it without even thinking about it.

Unfortunately, there are kids in the Fort Dodge community who don’t get to put on a good pair of socks and shoes every day. Family financial problems mean that they can’t afford them.

Two initiatives now underway that are worthy of broad support seek to help those kids and families.

The Socks for the Sole campaign is returning for its 13th year. It is conducted by the Community Health Center of Fort Dodge and Shimkat Motor Co. It works like this: Shimkat Motor Co. accepts donations of new socks and money with which to buy socks. The dealership buys and donates a pair of socks for every pair that gets dropped off at its showroom. The dealership takes the donated money, buys socks with it and then buys more socks to match every pair purchased with the donated money.

Donations will be accepted at the dealership, 3126 Fifth Ave. S., through Aug. 1. The socks will be distributed at a back-to-school block party hosted by the Community Health Center and Upper Des Moines Opportunity. It will begin at 5 p.m. Aug. 8 at the health center, 126 N. 10th St.

The shoe effort is being conducted by UnityPoint Health – Fort Dodge and Athletics for Education and Success.

Any student in sixth, seventh or eighth grades in any Fort Dodge school who is eligible for free and reduced price lunch can get a pair of tennis shoes through the program. Information about how to apply for a pair of shoes has been distributed through the schools.

Once all the applications are received, UnityPoint Health staffers will make tags, with each one listing a gender and shoe size. The tags are given to businesses and individuals who buy the shoes and drop them off at UnityPoint Health – Trinity Regional Medical Center. Any business, organization or individual who wants to help with this effort should call (515) 574-6511.

The shoes will be distributed at a Fort Dodge Middle school back-to-school event that will begin at 4 p.m. Aug. 17 at the school.

There are always important efforts to get coats and school supplies to kids who need them, but few probably think about the fact that those same kids need socks and shoes.

We encourage everyone to do their part to make these two efforts a big success this year.