Florida Student Collecting Soles

Andrea Diez-de-Onate a senior at Archbishop McCarthy High School in Fort Lauderdale FL, is searching for shoes to help those less fortunate.

Over the summer volunteer CCD teacher Diez-de-Onate was trying to find just the right service project for her CCD students. She came across the Soles4Souls website and couldn't believe what she read.

“My inspiration to do the shoe drive came when I read the staggering statistics of how many men, women and children worldwide go barefoot," she said. "We all take for granted the shoes we have in our closets. One pair of shoes can also save a person from disease and helps keep them warm."

Diez-de-Onate presented and received approval for the service project from St. Mark Catholic School CCD Director Susan Miklosak. She created and distributed flyers to the 1,000 CCD students the first week of October and to date she has received over 800 pairs of shoes.

“I started storing them in my parents’ garage, but that was getting a little crowded, so I called Pines West Storage Center and they donated a space for me to keep the shoes until we are ready to ship them to Soles4Souls in Alabama,” Diez-de-Onate said.

Diez-de-Onate has a goal of collecting a minimum of 1,000 pairs of shoes by… All Souls Day November 2nd.