Helping homeless kids put their best foot forward

 At a young age, Nicholas Lowinger learned not to take things for granted.

He was 5 years old and visiting a homeless shelter with his mother, who works in various shelters across Rhode Island. He was excited for the opportunity to show off his new light-up sneakers to the rest of the kids. But his mom cautioned him against doing so, explaining that these children might not have such luxuries.

Sure enough, when Nicholas met kids at the shelter, he quickly realized that they were living in circumstances that were very different from his own.

"I saw other kids my age who looked just like me. The only difference was, they were wearing old, tattered shoes that were falling apart. Some didn't have a pair of shoes to call their own," said Nicholas, now 15. "I've been very fortunate to grow up in a family that is able to provide me with whatever I need. A lot of kids here in the U.S. don't have the same opportunities."

There were 1.6 million homeless children across the United States in 2010, according to a report from the National Center on Family Homelessness (PDF). With no permanent place to live, many stay on the streets or in shelters, motels, cars and abandoned buildings.