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South Medford teen collects shoes for kids South Medford High School sophomore Andrew Hall has collected 379 pairs of shoes for students at Jackson Elementary School. Mail Tribune / Denise Baratta Tuesday Jan 3, 2017 at 4:01 PM Jan 4, 2017 at 11:53 AM Nick Morgan Mail Tribune @mtcrimebeat At an age when most teens are told to pick up their own shoes, one South Medford High School student is picking up hundreds for others. For his Eagle Scout project, sophomore Andrew Hall has collected 379 new and gently used pairs of shoes for underprivileged students at Jackson Elementary School. There's more than a dozen big boxes in his living room, but the 16-year-old's goal of collecting 500 pairs means he's still on the lookout for more. With the help of family members and fellow Boy Scouts, Hall canvassed east Medford neighborhoods with fliers seeking shoes for elementary students in need. As word spread, footwear has begun filling one room or another at the Hall family's east Medford home.  Hall's effort is most welcome, Jackson Elementary Principal Kelly Soter said. "Shoes are something we see a lot of families struggling with," Soter said. Underprivileged students will often wear "inappropriate shoes," such as sandals in the winter.  There's a small collection of hand-me-down clothing and shoes in the school's health room, but there's not many different sizes. Staff often have to resort to duct tape for children's shoes that are falling apart, Soter said. The hand-me-downs are claimed right away. "We go through them as fast as we get 'em," Soter said. Soter said the idea for Hall's project came from a staff coordinator.   About half of the shoes Hall has gathered have been used. Hall developed an assembly-line process to clean the shoes in his kitchen with the help of about 20 people, including fellow Scouts and members of his family. Then they got the shoes ready-to-wear with fresh laces. Hall has managed this project while maintaining a straight-A grade point average and navigating a busy wrestling season. On a school day, practice lets out about 7 p.m., and during the holiday break he's had morning practices until noon and weekend tournaments. But Hall said he was happy to give back. "I'm really blessed in my life," Hall said. "The least I can do is help others." His grandfather was a struggling Latino immigrant, and his mother, Jill Hall, said the family has a soft spot in their hearts for people trying to rise above difficult circumstances. Soter said an appropriate pair of shoes is just as important as a winter coat. "It's one of the basic needs that you just take for granted," Soter said. In particular need are shoes ranging in size from a kid-size 11 to youth size 5, but adult-sized shoes are also being gathered for the school's neighborhood center that helps others in a student's family. To make a donation or schedule a pickup, call Hall at 541-326-5239. — Reach reporter Nick Morgan at 541-776-4471 or [email protected]. Follow him on Twitter at @MTCrimeBeat.