At the March 8 Catasauqua Area School District Board of Education meeting, Catasauqua Middle School Principal Melissa Inselmann shared a heartwarming story.

She said David Linton, a sixth-grade science teacher, noticed a student came to school with his sneaker falling apart. He checked with Amy Dymond-Jones, one of the CMS counselors, to see if there were backup shoes they could offer the student.

CMS has a closet with various clothing items to provide to students who may need something. Dymond-Jones confirmed there were no sneakers in there to share with the student.

To get through the day, Linton duct-taped the sneaker together.

Linton said as soon as he got home that day, he went out to Walmart to purchase the shoes.

The next day, Linton arrived at school with three new pairs of sneakers.

He allowed the student to choose his favorite and donated the others to the school in case more shoes are needed in the future.

“I didn’t want him to be walking around like that at that time of year,” Linton said, referring to the cold, wet wintry weather. “It’s not right.”

Linton did not stop there. According to Inselmann, he continued to seek out donations for additional new sneakers. Linton said he made a list of what shoes he believed were needed for the school and gave the list to Dymond-Jones, along with a check to allow her to purchase new shoes and “get the ball rolling.”

Additionally, Linton said his wife, who is supportive of his efforts, reached out on the Facebook page for their local community and solicited donations from their neighbors.

“Hopefully, we have enough there to get things started,” Linton said.

Inselmann reported there are now about 20 pairs of new shoes at the school to help students in need.

Dymond-Jones reported she was recently able to give a new pair of shoes to a fifth-grade student from the stock created by Linton. She said his efforts were a true “labor of love.”

“He saw something he could do, so he did it,” she noted. “Mr. Linton’s generosity of purchasing new sneakers, along with securing donated new sneakers from others to help our students in need, is truly a selfless act of kindness.”

Linton did all of this below the radar, not seeking recognition.

“As a teacher in the CASD, I just felt it was something I needed to do,” he said.

He added, since he went through the Catasauqua school system, he knew it was important to show his support for the students. He mentioned the Rough Rider spirit influenced his actions.

“I’m a Rough Rider through and through,” Linton said.

“Mr. Linton is a humble individual with a heart of gold, which is driven by his compassion and empathy for all of our students,” Inselmann said to the school board members.

It was Dymond-Jones who told Inselmann of what Linton had done.

To demonstrate his dedication to his students, Linton is not stopping his efforts. Moving on from shoes, the focus is now on socks, he said.

“We have kids who don’t wear socks at all,” Linton reported.

He added some of these students choose not to wear socks.

He noted he looks at his students as his children and wants to make sure they have everything they need to succeed.

“Sometimes when you are put in a position when you’re different for some circumstance or other, it’s not always a good feeling,” Linton said. “I saw a need.

“I’m glad I could help and had the opportunity because I’ve been blessed,” Linton said. “Be sure to take the time to count your blessings and show those who are important to you that they are important.”