Sport Chalet to Collect Shoes

Sport Chalet in Phoenix, AZ is partnering with Soles4Souls to collect “gently worn” for people in need. The Sport Chalet is the southwest destination for sports equipment, apparel, shoes, and accessories.

From Oct. 5 to 12, Soles4Souls and Sport Chalet will be collecting footwear to ship to those less fortunate in the U.S. and around the world. Sport Chalet will give those who donate a 20%-off coupon for a new pair of shoes during the event.

There are 8 Sport Chalet stores in the Phoenix area. Click here to find a location.

Soles4Souls and Operation Compassion deliver shoes and rice to the Philippines

When Soles4Souls distributes its shoes worldwide sometimes the footwear does not fill the very large distribution container. When this is the case, the remainder of the container is then filled with other essential, sometimes life-saving, supplies.

Recently a Soles4Soul's container filled with footwear and rice was distributed in Manila, Philippines. The distribution was handled by Operation Compassion – one of Soles4Soul's distribution partners.

These pictures are of the San Fernado Dump Site. The children actually live very close to the dumping area. They don't have any water irrigation so they retrieve water from a nearby dirty river. Most of their shoes, clothing, and even sometimes food, are pulled from the dump site. They often eat dried fish from the garbage because they don't make enough money to buy other food.

The children who live around the dump site received sandals from Soles4Souls and 50 bags of rice thanks to Operation Compassion and other charities. When essential footwear accompanies life-saving supplies, such as food and water, it can make all the difference in the world.

VILLAGE NORTHWEST UNLIMITED ANNOUNCES PARTNERSHIP WITH SOLES4SOULS AS A PROCESSING CENTER FOR SHOE DONATIONS

Village Northwest Unlimited (VNU), along with Soles4Souls, announces they will now serve as a donation processing center for the shoe charity. VNU currently offers a wide array of services and training to more than 200 individuals with disabilities. The individuals have varying degrees of disabilities including intellectual disabilities, brain injury, cerebral palsy, autism, Down syndrome, epilepsy, and range from ages 17 to 80.

Soles4Souls currently has one distribution center in Roanoke, Alabama, but are excited about the partnership with VNU, which will provide upper Midwest donors a more convenient and cost-effective alternative to shipping to Alabama. VNU is proud to offer Soles4Souls a place to ship and store their donations, while giving disabled individuals the opportunity to participate in the impact Soles4Souls is having around the world.

“Historically, these individuals have been marginalized by society and treated as second class citizens,” said Wayne Elsey, founder and CEO of Soles4Souls, Inc. “Our goal is to include them in our process and allow them to be part of our team. We couldn’t think of a better group of people to partner with in helping change the world.”

VNU clientele will receive the donated footwear, sort into specific categories, and ready for shipment to Soles4Souls main outreach distribution center. This step will make the Alabama facility much more efficient in responding to needs in the US and overseas. Soles4Souls will, in return, pay VNU a certain amount per pair of shoes processed.

People and companies interested in donating can visit the organization’s website at www.giveshoes.org and follow the instructions.

Teacher Steps up Shoe Charity Drive

A school is a natural place to collect used shoes for charity: Children outgrow them so fast there's a steady supply.

Language arts teacher Barbara Swier at Turlock Junior High in Modesto, CA was looking into recycling shoes and found Soles4Souls. Swier learned that 300 million children worldwide are without shoes and she wanted to help.

"These children are walking everywhere barefoot, often over rocky soil," Swier said. "What happens to them in the winter?"

Swier set up boxes in her classroom and the school's office and started putting out the word. A local Federal Express office will ship the shoes for free to the Soles4Souls' Western warehouse.

Swier said gently used shoes of all sizes and styles are needed. The Turlock Junior High is located at 3951 N. Walnut Road. People can drop off shoes from 7:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. Monday through Friday.

Miami Fashion Show Benefits Soles4Souls

Soles4Souls was the charity of choice at the Delilah Johnson fashion show hosted September 19th at the swanky Setai Hotel on South Beach.

Julia Kreibich, the managing director of Pearl & Co, helped put on the show which featured the stylish designs of new designer Delilah Johnson, as well as many high-end brands that donated shoes to the "purple" theme.

"We had several fashion and shoe industry people in attendance and were able to raise a respectable amount of money for Soles4Souls," said Kreibich. "I am very proud of the people in this industry!"

Soles4Souls partners with peace Builders to distribute shoes to Tibetan children in India

Soles4Souls donated shoes to an organization called Peace Builders, who then distributed the brand new 'Keen' shoes to children in Dharamsala, India. The children who received the shoes were not Indian, but Tibetan children who live as refugees in the Tibetan Children's Village in Dharamsala.

The Mission of Tibetan Children's Villages- an integrated charitable organization - is to ensure that all Tibetan children under its care receive a sound education, a firm cultural identity and become self-reliant and contributing members of the Tibetan community and the world at large.

“The Village was formed to care for ‘the many children who had been orphaned or separated from their families during the arduous escape from their homeland,'" says Diane Eskinozi who works for Peace Builders. Many of the children have fled political persecution in Tibet, walking for days or weeks through the Himalayan mountains. Many of their parents were killed. More info is available at http://www.tcv.org.in/history.shtml”

Soles4Souls donates shoes to a title 9 elementary school in Las vegas.

At the USRA conference in May 2009, shoe charity Soles4Souls donated shoes to the 550 school-age children at Ronzone Elementary School in Las Vegas. Students in kindergarden through 5th grade at this title 9 school that receives special funds received a brand new pair of specialized Soles4Souls flip-flops - the smiles on their faces tell the rest of the story.

Quite the feat CRMS students send 500 pairs of used shoes to needy souls around the world

Local running store also collecting used shoes

Colorado Rocky Mountain School students JJ Worley, left, and Kelsey Bohannon, pictured amidst the boxes filled with 500 pairs of used shoes which they will be shipping off as part of the Soles4Souls effort.

CARBONDALE, Colorado — Friends and fellow Colorado Rocky Mountain School juniors Kelsey Bohannon and JJ Worley recently found a way to help needy people around the world, and keep what otherwise would be trash out of area landfills.

Through the Soles4Souls shoe charity, they collected some 500 pairs of used shoes from throughout the Roaring Fork Valley. The shoes will be sent to a warehouse in Nevada, and eventually shipped to villages around the world where people cannot afford to buy shoes themselves.

“I heard about it and it just interested me as a way for people do something for those in need without sending money,” said Bohannon, 16, who lives in Glenwood Springs.

“Some people don't like giving money, because they're not sure what's really going to happen to it,” she said. “There's not much else you can do with used shoes, though. You know someone is going to be wearing them who needs them.”

Worley, also 16, from Carbondale, looks at it as a “one person's trash is another person's treasure” sort of approach to global charity.

“People really do get tired of donating money. This is a way to get rid of something you'd be throwing away anyway, and for a good cause,” she said.

Bohannon and Worley put up flyers around the valley and set up collection boxes at Summit Canyon Mountaineering in Glenwood Springs and at Dos Gringos Burritos in Carbondale.

“They asked me to come empty the box at Summit because it was overflowing,” Bohannon said. “The shoes filled up my car.”

Once they collected all the shoes they realized it would cost $230 to ship them to Nevada, even after the 80 percent charity discount from UPS. So they approached the Aspen Skiing Company, and it covered the shipping cost.

“We didn't even think about the money part of it,” Worley said. “We really want to thank the Skico for helping us out.”

They received some interesting shoes along the way, including some Go-Go boots, a pair of snowboard boots, and ballet slippers.

“Some of them are pretty fancy shoes, and not very used at all,” Bohannon said.

Miser's Mercantile, a local second-hand store, also donated some of the shoes it had in stock, and the American Legion Ladies Auxiliary collected a box of shoes as well.

The students may do another drive in the future, but their collection efforts are done for now. However, Independence Run and Hike, a local running and outdoor gear store, is also a collection location forSoles4Souls.

The store, located in the Gateway Plaza at Highway 133 and Cowen Drive in Carbondale, is collecting “gently worn” footwear and/or monetary donations to help ship the shoes.

The shoes sometimes go to victims of a natural disaster, or who are subject to living in extreme poverty, according to the organization's website, www.giveshoes.org.

“It is estimated that Americans have 1.5 billion pairs of unused shoes lying in their closets,” it notes. “The charity can use each and every one of these pairs to make a tangible difference in someone's life.”

Independence Run and Hike owner Brion After said he is glad to contribute, both in the charitable sense and because of the reduced environmental impact of recycling used shoes.

“We believe in taking care of the land that takes care of us,” he said. “Partnering with Soles4Souls enables the local running and hiking community to be environmental stewards and assist those in need throughout the world.”

Shoe Carnival gives soles to the world

For the third time in two years, Shoe Carnival is partnering with shoe charity Soles4Souls Inc. through Sept. 29 to give away shoes to those in need.

Customers at all 314 store locations, including one at Westwood Plaza in West Ashley and Azalea Square in Summerville, will have the opportunity to donate $1 at the register.

The Evansville, Ind.-based company hopes to raise at least $140,000 through the in-store program. All funds will be applied toward sending a new pair of shoes to victims of natural disasters or those living in extreme poverty, both in the U.S. and around the world.

Sole mates: Student inspired by S4S creates nonprofit to collect, distribute shoes to Vietnamese orphans

Santa Catalina's Paulina Nguyen inspired by 2007 trip to Vietnam.

Paulina Nguyen's first trip to Vietnam in 2007 was intended as a chance to meet distant relatives and get a foothold on her family roots.

A visit to a Vietnamese orphanage changed that, especially when she saw children walking around barefoot.

She knew she had to do something.

Nguyen, a 17-year-old senior at Santa Catalina School, promptly started Soles4Orphans, her personal effort to collect and distribute shoes to Vietnamese orphans. This year, she has collected $3,400, which will be used to purchase sandals and shoes for her family's trip to Vietnam in December.

"I really had a connection with the kids there. When I saw some of them were barefoot, it stayed with me," she said. "I wanted to do something to help, but I didn't know exactly what."

Administrators at Santa Catalina School said they were impressed with Nguyen's initiative.

"It's a wonderful example of how students look beyond themselves and out into the world," said Richard Patterson, assistant head of school for advancement.

The idea for Soles4Orphans was inspired by Soles4Souls, a national nonprofit founded by former footwear executive Wayne Elsey.

When Nguyen saw a Soles4Souls shoe bin at a local shoe store seeking donations, she was reminded of the Vietnamese orphans who walked with calloused feet everywhere they went.

She began collecting shoes in late 2007, and by the time she was ready for her trip in June 2008, she had collected 500 pairs of shoes, along with in-kind donations.

The money she collected was used to buy an additional 200 pairs of sandals upon her arrival in Vietnam.

Paulina showed up with boxes of shoes and sandals, and sizing mats with shoe sizes drawn on them. Children measured their feet, received a pair and rejoiced. Some were just excited at the prospect of the shoe measurement, having never known what size they were.

This year's trip will happen around the winter holiday break. She plans on taking shoes that have been donated, including some 40 pairs that were sent in by an Indiana mother who heard about her organization. The donor had recently celebrated the one-year anniversary of her own adoption of a young child and wanted to mark the occasion with a donation.

Nguyen gave special thanks to Elsey and Soles4Souls, which she mentions on her Web site as an inspiration. Elsey has encouraged her effort, Nguyen said.

Donate shoes in southern York County

Christian fitness group Motion and Devotion is teaming with Soles4Souls to collect gently used shoes and donations to support Soles4Souls' mission of providing footwear to people in need worldwide.

The collection period is scheduled from Sunday through Nov. 13 at three southern York County locations.

Locations include Shrewsbury Assembly of God Church, 234 N. Main St., Shrewsbury, Gold's Gym, 985 Far Hills Drive, Hopewell Township, and PA Fitness, 543 S. Main St., Shrewsbury.

Bella Mia to Help Needy

Bella Mia, a clothing and shoe store in Plymouth, MI will be hosting "Ladies Night Out" in support of Soles4Souls. The event is taking place Monday, September 21st (tonight) from 7 to 9 p.m.

The “Ladies Night Out” event is a private party organized by Kristen Kaminski that will benefit the needy in the U.S. and around the world with the simple gift of shoes. The boutique will host the private party after its closing hours. A gently worn shoe donation will be required as admission, and Bella Mia will donate 15% of the evening's earnings to Soles4Souls.

“I'm looking forward to this event bringing together women for such a great cause,” Kaminski said. “With the help of Bella Mia and shoe donations from all those that attend, I truly hope that we can make a difference in others' lives.”

Bella Mia is located on 535 Forest St. in Plymouth, MI. For more information call (734) 656-0057.

Cole Haan Offers Discount to Benefit Soles4Souls

Cole Haan and Soles4Souls have teamed up in a charitable effort to provide shoes to those in need.

From September 10th-20th Cole Haan shoppers, who donate a minimum of one pair of gently worn shoes, by any brand, will receive 15% off their entire purchase. The promotion is in effect at Cole Haan stores nationwide.

Click here to find a store near you.

Saul's Celebrates 70 Years

A clothing and shoe store in Gainesville, GA is celebrating decades of business this year by continuing its family tradition of customer service.

Saul’s, located at 100 Main St. SW, was established 70 years ago by Bill and Gussie Schrage. Their son, Lorry Schrage, continues the family business today. Schrage said Saul’s has been so successful for so long because of the clothing store’s customers.

"There are very few people that come into my store that I wouldn’t have in my living room," he said.

A personal relationship with the customers is just one of the traits Schrage said is important to the success of any business. Another factor of Saul’s success has been the owners’ involvement in the community.

Earlier this year, Saul’s became involved with Soles4Souls. Customers who donated shoes at the store received a 20% discount on a new pair at Saul’s during the shoe drive.

"At Saul's, we feel it is important to help less fortunate people during these tough economic times with much needed shoes," said Schrage.

Saul’s also is celebrating its birthday by holding a special sale this month. Some items are 70 percent off, to match the clothing store’s 70th year, through Sept. 30.

Opelika Pastor Walks to Raise Shoes

For the last 18 years, pastor Rick Hagans, 51, from First Baptist Church in Opelika, AL has been lacing-up his walking shoes and taking to America’s roads in an effort to gather shoes because of a promise he made to a little boy.

One Christmas while in Mexico delivering toys to children, a little boy, between the ages of five and six, asked Hagans if he could trade his toy for a pair of shoes.

That moment stuck with Hagans. Since that time he has been collecting shoes for what he calls the “Pilgrimage of a Promise.”

Now working with Soles4Souls, Hagans collects about 10,000 pairs of shoes a year for people in Mexico, all while making an annual walk across different states. For every pair of shoes Hagans collects, Soles4Souls matches the contribution.

Currently, he’s walking across Maryland, Delaware and Connecticut.

“So far we’ve walked a total of about 300, 310 miles and we got another 70 or 80 (miles) to go,” Hagans said.

He expects to finish his walk by Thursday. Monday, he was in Newhaven, Conn.

“I always try to walk about 400 miles because that’s what I can walk in a month,” he said.

Since beginning his annual treks, Hagans has walked more than 6,500 miles and collected more than 150,000 shoes. When he completes his journey on Thursday he will have walked 32 of the 50 states.

This year, things are a little different on the pilgrimage, Hagans’ son, Chester Hagan, 19, is following in his father’s footsteps — literally.

Chester joined his father on the walk in an effort to raise more than 800 pairs of shoes for a Guatemalan village.

“We went up there one day to one of the villages, people didn’t have shoes,” Chester said. “I can get a pair of shoes for everybody.”

The village has about 800 residents.

Hagans partners with Times Square Church to gather the shoes and get them to Mexico and Guatemala.

In addition to collecting the shoes and keeping a very important promise, getting out on the road puts him in touch with people and he prays with people anytime he gets the chance.

“People are very needy for the word I have to share ...” he said. “To me it’s a lot more like Jesus than sitting in a stained glass sanctuary that’s insulated and isolated … Jesus never had a car, never got an airplane ticket.”

Hagans said in addition to collecting shoes and meeting and praying with new people, he hopes to set a record.

“The best I can tell nobody has ever walked across all 50 states,” he said. “I’m over half way.”

150 Pair Donated During Service in Georgia

Churchgoers at Connect Rome in Rome, GA were asked to do something different Sunday morning.

Josh Roberts, pastor of the church that meets in the barroom of McCrobie’s downtown, not only asked his parishioners to leap into a relationship with God, but also to leap out of their shoes for a good cause.

Many of those in attendance were surprised when Roberts asked them to leave the shoes they wore to church, but gave them up without question. The church collected 150 pairs of shoes to donate.

“Josh wanted to use the message and make it where everyone could apply it to real life this morning,” said Robert’s new assistant Jeannene Parsons.

The shoes would be sent to a Soles4Souls warehouse where they would be sorted and shipped across the nation to people in need.

“They have three different warehouses, two of which are in Alabama and Tennessee,” Parsons said. “So we’ll be shipping the shoes out to the Alabama warehouse.”

Berry College junior Joseph Cook said he was happy to have given up his footwear. He donated the pair of Rainbow flip-flops he normally wears to church.

“They were just shoes,” he said. “They’re kind of hard to give up, but they weren’t my shoes to give in the first place. They were God’s shoes.”

Read Pastor Josh's blog on the donation here.

Lady Vols to hold Kids Shoe Drive Sunday

The University of Tennessee Lady Vols soccer team will host the first "Kicks for Kids" shoe drive this Sunday at Regal Soccer Stadium at the 2 p.m. match against Western Carolina.

Fans who bring a pair of new or gently worn shoes to donate will receive free admission for two to the game. The "Kicks for Kids" shoe drive will benefit Soles4Souls.

Third Eye Blind to Perform Acoustic Set at Nine West

Third Eye Blind, the popular alternative rock band will perform live at Nine West to support Fashion's Night Out and promote "Ursa Major," their newest album. Ursa Major is the band's 4th studio album and debuted at #3 on the Billboard Top 200 Album chart.

People are invited to experience this rare performance by frontman Stephan Jenkins and bandmate Tony Fredianelli before they go on an extended world tour. Nine West will also celebrate the night by showcasing their latest Vintage America Collection and a second live performance by singer/songwriter and brand ambassador, Miranda Lee Richards.

In partnership with Lucky Magazine and Soles4Soles, the iconic retailer will be collecting gently used footwear from customers during the event and rewarding the first 99 donations with a $50 gift card. All Nine West shoppers that evening will celebrate with music, food, beverage and a 15% discount on purchases.

Fashion's Night Out will be held at the Nine West Specialty Retail Store at 675 Fifth Avenue (at 53rd Street) in New York City on Thursday, September 10th. The event will begin at 6 p.m. with an exclusive VAC shopping event and a performance by Miranda Lee Richards. Third Eye Blind members Stephan Jenkins and Tony Fredianelli will perform later in the evening.

Whoa! Diamond Ring Found in Donated Shoes

Every woman knows what it feels like to lose something that was important to her, whether it's a baby blanket, wallet, or piece of beloved jewelry, and knows how much it hurts when it happens.

But while the loss of such precious things usually makes us think of thieves, robbers, or our own forgetfulness, we don't usually expect it to happen accidentally while we're doing good deeds for the community.

Such was somebody's fate after donating a pair of shoes to the charity Soles4Souls in Florida.

Soles4Souls, an international shoe charity that collects shoes for the needy, recently discovered a misplaced diamond ring, which fell out of a pair of shoes donated at the Foot Solutions franchise in The Village, FL.

As the donations are often anonymous, the owner of the ring is still unknown, and Foot Solutions owners Linda and Malcolm Barry are now searching for the person who lost something so precious in an act of generosity. If any of you readers out there know someone who donated shoes and lost a diamond ring in the process, please forward this along!

With that said, the rest of us should learn our lesson for now. First, if we've got some new or used shoes that we no longer want or need, consider donating them to Soles4Souls, which currently distributes shoes to people in over 70 countries--the high that we get from giving back is really worth taking the time. And second, let's remember to be careful when handling our prized possessions because we'd never want to end up accidentally giving away a little more than planned!

Zappos and West Coast Conference to collect shoes at Basketball championships!

LAS VEGAS_The West Coast Conference and partner IMG College say Zappos.com will be the title sponsor of the conference men's and women's basketball championships in Las Vegas.

The deal gives Henderson-based Zappos.com exclusive marketing, promotional and media rights for WCC men's and women's championships scheduled each March through 2012 at the 7,800-seat Orleans Arena in Las Vegas.

The conference and Zappos.com also plan to collect used shoes from member universities from December to March for distribution internationally through Soles4Souls.

Local Teen Collects Shoes for the Needy

Andie Davidson collects shoes of all styles and donates them to the Soles4Souls charity that donates the shoes worldwide to disaster victims, the homeless and domestic abuse shelters.

LEAWOOD, Kan. – A Blue Valley North High School Junior, Andie Davidson, worries about children around the world who've never had shoes. So, she's trying to help by collecting gently-used shoes of all styles to donate to Soles4Souls.

The non-profit Soles4Souls charity donates shoes worldwide to disaster victims, disadvantaged children, the homeless, and those in orphanages and domestic abuse shelters. Both children and adults worldwide are in need of footwear, and are overjoyed to receive even a pair of used shoes.

Through Davidson's project, used shoe donations are being accepted throughout the month of September at three locations: Blue Valley North High School, 12200 Lamar Ave., at Elite Feet Running Shoes, 5017 W. 119th St., in Overland Park, and at Backwoods Outdoor Gear, 6825 W. 135th St., in Overland Park.

Soles4Souls began after the sight of a single empty shoe on the beach after the 2004 tsunami in Southeast Asia. That touching site inspired founder Wayne Elsey to donate shoes and later establish a non-profit agency. In 2004 and 2005, Soles4Souls distributed over one million pairs of shoes for victims of Hurricanes Katrina and Rita and the Asian Tsunami.

Soles4Souls Supports the Wade Center in West Virginia

Shoe charity Soles4Souls has supported the Wade Center in Bluefield West Virginia for the past few years. The Wade Center exists to promote and nurture the growth of the children, teens and young adults of the Greater Bluefield Community through practical programs and mentoring relationships. According to its website, the Wade Center's programs address the spiritual, physical, emotional and intellectual needs of the community's children, with the goal of encouraging positive personal growth that results in the development of productive members of the community.

Soles4Soul's shoe donations to the center allow children in the community to take home a new pair of shoes. The shoe charity has also donated $5,000 to the center. Founder and CEO of Soles4Souls, Wayne Elsey promises to donate more shoes this Christmas season to the Wade Center.

Shoes Handed Out in Jamaica

Here is a touching letter we received from a member of the Miami-Dade Kiwanis Club who was present during a recent shoe giveaway in Jamaica:

“Of the numerous projects undertaken during the Mission, the shoe distribution was the most touching. The look on the faces of children as they tried on their shoes and the glee in their eyes as they held their new pair of shoes close to their bodies left an indelible mark. These images will stay with us forever.

Many of the people who came to us had no shoes or badly worn shoes. Although we were able to help some individuals, we barely scratched the surface. The dire need for shoes has opened our hearts to respond in a more meaningful way in future Missions. Due to the generosity of our sponsors Soles4Souls and Seafreight Lines, we were able to change the lives of the people of Jamaica.”

DuPont Middle School Helping Those in Need

The DuPont Middle School band in Belle, WV will be working with Soles4Souls to collect donations for children in need from Sept. 7 through Sept. 22. Along with helping Soles4Souls aid needy people in the region and around the world, DuPont Middle School students are also raising funds for their own programs.

"I am extremely excited that our school is getting involved in this program. I know this program will help students who need help the most during these economic times," said Dave Miller, principal of DuPont Middle School.

The Soles4Souls program provides an innovative alternative to traditional fundraisers. Students collect monetary donations from family, friends, teachers and neighbors for the purchase of new Soles4Souls clogs or flip-flops. Soles4Souls ships the shoes directly to people in need, domestically and internationally.

For every pair of $5 flip-flops or $10 clogs sponsored, the school organization receives 40 percent of the proceeds in the form of a check from Soles4Souls, along with incentives for the students and the programs they are representing.

"The DuPont Middle School Band is a program that has students from all walks of life as well as levels of income," said Andrew Harper, the DPMS band director. "We are constantly working on providing quality musical experience and want every child to be able to join the band; however, money is a great concern, so we are raising money for students who cannot afford instruments. Our hope is to provide footwear to students in the Appalachian region who are in need."

The students at DPMS have also launched its 2009-2010 Box Tops for Education fundraising campaign, in which consumers can contribute to the school through easy, everyday efforts.

Ladies' Home Journal Employees Give a Lift to Soles4Souls

On August 27, LHJ staff members were out in force in front of New York's Madison Square Garden to collect shoes from the nearly 20,000 attending the Kellie Pickler/Taylor Swift concert. Result was the pictured overflow, and they were coupled with 500-plus shoes donated by LHJ parent Meredith Corp.'s New York employees--the same group that collected 1,600 pounds of clothing for a Family Circle campaign with Goodwill Industries (min, August 24, 2009).

Shoes beneficiary is Nashville-based Soles4Souls, a favorite cause for American Idol alumna Pickler. It began in the aftermath of the December 4 tsunami in Southeast Asia that killed an estimated 250,000 and left many more homeless.

Shoe Carnival Announces Humanitarian Effort with Soles4Souls

Popular Footwear Retailer Reaches Out to Communities Across the U.S. to Spread Hope and Engage Customers in Giving Program EVANSVILLE, IN & NASHVILLE, TN (September 1, 2009) - For the third time in less than two years, the popular footwear retailer, Shoe Carnival, is partnering with shoe charity Soles4Souls, Inc. to give away shoes to those in need.
Beginning September 2 through September 29, customers of all 314 Shoe Carnival locations will have the opportunity to donate $1 at the register. Shoe Carnival hopes to raise at least $140,000 through the in-store program. All funds will be applied toward sending a new pair of shoes to victims of natural disasters or those living in extreme poverty, both here in the United States and around the world.

Additionally, Shoe Carnival and Soles4Souls will join forces to donate new shoes to local charities in St. Louis, Memphis, Birmingham and Mobile, where thousands of shoes will be given to needy people. "Shoe Carnival is proud to continue our support of Soles4Souls," said Todd Beurman, Senior Vice President of Marketing for Shoe Carnival. "The ongoing partnership with Soles4Souls fits the core of what our brand strives to do, and that is to provide shoes for people that need them." 'Shoe Carnival has taken on our cause as their own, and we are extremely proud to partner with them to reach thousands of people who are suffering,' said Wayne Elsey, Founder and CEO of Soles4Souls. 'Their generosity directly benefits people who need our assistance, and we invite everyone to stop by a Shoe Carnival location to become personally involved,' he said. For more details on the Shoe Carnival / Soles4Souls partnership, visit http://www.giveshoes.org/.

Nine West Vintage America Collection is Proud to Support Soles4Souls

Residents across the U.S. are invited to recycle their 'gently worn' shoes for people in need.

As part of the launch of the Nine West Vintage America Collection, Nine West and Soles4Souls are stepping up their partnership to collect gently worn footwear to benefit those in need. From September 9, 2009 through September 24, 2009 customers who bring in a pair of gently worn shoes into any Nine West retail store nationwide will receive 15% off any purchase of $75 or more, which can be used online or in-store. All 192 participating Nine West stores will donate the recycled shoes directly to Soles4Souls.
In keeping with the authentic spirit of the Nine West Vintage America Collection, Nine West is proud to support Soles4Souls and help those in need worldwide with the gift of shoes. Nine West and Soles4Souls will work together to raise awareness and inspire others to make a contribution.
"Soles4Souls' mission is for people to use the shoes taking up space in their closets to change the world one pair at a time," Elsey said. "We are pleased to be partnering with Nine West and encourage all of our other partners to 'STEP UP' and get behind our call to action. Donating gently worn shoes is one of the most simplest yet profound gifts you can make, and it will greatly improve someone's life in the most difficult of times."

"As part of our ongoing partnership with Soles4Souls, we are thrilled to bring this program to Nine West consumers nationwide and enable them to join in the mission of recycling shoes and giving back to the community," said Jay Friedman, CEO Jones Retail Corporation. "Philanthropy has always been part of our company's DNA and with the help of our consumers we anticipate donating a lot of shoes to those in need."

Every 13 seconds, Soles4Souls, Inc. gives away a pair of shoes to someone in need. The shoe charity has earned glowing endorsements from Hollywood stars and professional athletes, but the people who truly make the non-profit organization effective are those who clean out their closets to personally drop off their 'gently worn' shoes at a participating location. It is estimated that Americans have 1.5 billion pairs of unused shoes lying in their closets. Soles4Souls can use each and every one of these pairs to make a tangible difference in someone's life. To donate or for more information visit http://www.giveshoes.org/.