All malls encourage you to buy shoes. Town East Mall wants you to bring them back.
Soles4Souls, an international charity dedicated to providing free footwear to needy people around the world, has been collecting gently used shoes at the Mesquite mall and five others owned by General Growth Properties in the area for more than a month.
"It's a great concept," said former Mesquite Mayor Mike Anderson, who dedicated a pair just before his retirement in August. "I hope that a lot of people will visit this booth in the coming weeks."
It seems that the crowds have done just that, as Soles4Souls reports that it has gathered more than 170 pairs at Town East.
"The locals have really shown their support here for this program," said Debi Martinez, a General Growth Properties spokeswoman. "I think that once they walk in and see the booth, and learn a bit about the cause, they are very accepting. Because most people have some older shoes in their closet they never wear anyway."
In all, Town East, Collin Creek, Hulen, The Parks at Arlington, Stonebriar Centre and Vista Ridge malls have collected more than 1,400 pairs of shoes. Ms. Martinez expects a lot more before the drive ends Sept. 30.
"I think there will be a big number of people that were just waiting, and, now that the end is near, they will bring some more shoes," she said.
Ms. Martinez said several outside groups have been collecting shoes to bring in before the drive closes.
Soles4Souls first collected shoes for the region affected by the Asian tsunami on Dec. 26, 2004.
Soon after, the organization put its experience into action for Hurricane Katrina victims, creating a special Web site for the effort and also soliciting donations by word of mouth.
Spreading the word worked wonders. The group collected more than 900,000 pairs to donate for the two disasters.
On October 2005, Soles4Souls formally incorporated, allowing the organization to serve people around the globe.
Town East's marketing manager, Deborah Screws, said the charity represents a great message.
"From the moment the drive started, it is easy to see the excitement that the drive brings," she said. "And you can tell that everyone, from the donating community to the mall employees, is affected by it."
Soles4Souls of Nashville, Tenn., has a distribution center in Las Vegas, where donated shoes are inspected for suitability, sorted, packaged in Soles4Souls boxes and prepared for distribution to a regional partner expressing a need.
Soles4Souls, an international charity dedicated to providing free footwear to needy people around the world, has been collecting gently used shoes at the Mesquite mall and five others owned by General Growth Properties in the area for more than a month.
"It's a great concept," said former Mesquite Mayor Mike Anderson, who dedicated a pair just before his retirement in August. "I hope that a lot of people will visit this booth in the coming weeks."
It seems that the crowds have done just that, as Soles4Souls reports that it has gathered more than 170 pairs at Town East.
"The locals have really shown their support here for this program," said Debi Martinez, a General Growth Properties spokeswoman. "I think that once they walk in and see the booth, and learn a bit about the cause, they are very accepting. Because most people have some older shoes in their closet they never wear anyway."
In all, Town East, Collin Creek, Hulen, The Parks at Arlington, Stonebriar Centre and Vista Ridge malls have collected more than 1,400 pairs of shoes. Ms. Martinez expects a lot more before the drive ends Sept. 30.
"I think there will be a big number of people that were just waiting, and, now that the end is near, they will bring some more shoes," she said.
Ms. Martinez said several outside groups have been collecting shoes to bring in before the drive closes.
Soles4Souls first collected shoes for the region affected by the Asian tsunami on Dec. 26, 2004.
Soon after, the organization put its experience into action for Hurricane Katrina victims, creating a special Web site for the effort and also soliciting donations by word of mouth.
Spreading the word worked wonders. The group collected more than 900,000 pairs to donate for the two disasters.
On October 2005, Soles4Souls formally incorporated, allowing the organization to serve people around the globe.
Town East's marketing manager, Deborah Screws, said the charity represents a great message.
"From the moment the drive started, it is easy to see the excitement that the drive brings," she said. "And you can tell that everyone, from the donating community to the mall employees, is affected by it."
Soles4Souls of Nashville, Tenn., has a distribution center in Las Vegas, where donated shoes are inspected for suitability, sorted, packaged in Soles4Souls boxes and prepared for distribution to a regional partner expressing a need.
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