Area students encouraged to 'Think Kindness' with Soles4Souls

Brian Williams, Soles4Souls motivational speaker, encourages kids to complete kind acts

[from the Wisconsin Rapids Tribune]

MANITOWOC, WI — Kids sometimes act in uncharacteristic ways because of Brian Williams. One day, an entire class of fifth-graders came to school with newly shaved heads, boys and girls alike.

Don't worry — it was parent-approved.

One of the students' classmates was going through chemotherapy and was afraid to come back to school after losing his hair. The students shaved their heads in an act of solidarity, to make their classmate feel welcome back at school.

This act of kindness is one of more than 125,000, large and small, that have stemmed from Williams' "Think Kindness" program, which is in the middle of its run among nine Manitowoc-area elementary schools.

Williams, a 27-year-old martial arts black belt from Nevada, does a combination martial arts demonstration and motivational speech to kick off each school's two-week mission: to do and document 5,000 acts of kindness and to donate 10,000 pairs of shoes to people around the world.

Students record their kind acts in journals. The target is to eventually generate one million acts of kindness, which can be as simple as holding open the door for someone.

"Something as simple as a used pair of shoes is the best catalyst to teach people to be kind," Williams said.

Much of Williams' inspiration to start the organization came from his martial arts training. One of his instructors often quipped, "Kindness is the ultimate form of self defense."

"My martial arts instructor always preached that," Williams said, "always striving to become black belts not only in martial arts, but in life."

Mark Weber, owner and instructor at Lakeshore Tae Kwon Do, followed Williams' efforts and contemplated the project as community service for his black belt students.

"[Martial arts] is more than just kicking and punching," he said. From there, the idea took off with other local schools.

Williams partnered with Soles4Souls, a nonprofit organization that collects and distributes shoes around the world, after two competing Think Kindness high schools came up with the idea to collect shoes, he said. Now, each elementary student is encouraged to get one person they know to send a text message, which will automatically donate $5 — enough for two pairs of new shoes — to the cause.


The Think Kindness project has succeeded in engaging kids to donate shoes, said Chris Carmichael, communications director at Soles4Souls, whereas many times adults are more involved.

"This one is definitely catching fire because of the uniqueness that Brian brings to it," Carmichael said.

The program strengthens students' citizenship and personal focus, said Valders Elementary School principal Jason Procknow, but teachers can also apply it to academics.

Valders will integrate a social studies component by teaching students where in the world their shoe contributions go, he said. Last summer, a group, including Williams, delivered shoes to Kenya, and plan to return next summer.

The Manitowoc-area schools will compete against each other in acts of kindness, but also against the other schools Williams presents at across the country — about 50 are scheduled for his current tour — to see which can take the title of "kindest school."

But Williams is attempting to take his initiative beyond schools, as well. Weber's martial arts students will help with a shoe drive at Saturday's Crime Prevention Day, and Mayor Justin Nickels issued a proclamation designating Oct. 19 through Nov. 2 as "15 Days of Kindness" in Manitowoc.

Williams said he checks in at schools during the two weeks to reinforce the cause, instead of being just a "one-hour speaker." At the end of a school's two weeks, the kind-acts journals go back to him.

In the end, he said, he hopes kindness will become a lifestyle for the students he meets, instead of a two-week project.

And what will he do with all the journals once the acts of kindness tally one million?

"Put them in a glass case," Williams said, "to show the world what a million random acts of kindness looks like."

Written by Allison Wickler: (920) 686-2135 or awickler@htrnews.com

Esmond's Shoe Store Plays Local Role in Getting Shoes to Needy

[from the PALLADIUM-ITEM]

Richmond, Indiana -- Soles4Souls and Esmond’s Shoes will collect footwear and/or monetary donations later this month to ship the shoes to people in need.

The shoe drive at the Richmond Esmond’s Shoes store at 17 S. 8th St. will be held Oct. 26-31.

It is estimated that Americans have 1.5 billion pairs of unused shoes lying in their closets. The charity can use each pair to help those in need.

“Every year we have a storewide sale and the week of Oct. 26-31 will be our second year helping with Soles4Souls,” said Rodger Sieb, owner of Esmond’s Shoes.

People and companies interested in donating can visit the organization’s Web site at www.giveshoes.org.

Soles4Souls is a Nashville, Tenn.-based charity that collects shoes from the warehouses of footwear companies and individuals’ closets. It distributes these shoes free of charge to people in need.

Soles4Souls and Shoe Carnival Work Together for Good

Soles4Souls and Shoe Carnival handed out 100 pairs of shoes to children served by the Desoto Sunrise Homes (Impact Missions Center) just south of Memphis on Monday, September 28. This event was part of a larger series of events featuring our valued partner, Shoe Carnival. For more on this, read the press release here.

PHOTO: Soles4Souls Staff Member David Graben fits a child with a new pair of shoes.

Physical therapy and rehab specialists promote charitable spirit

[from JANESVILLE'S GazetteXtra.com]

JANESVILLE -- Black shoes, brown shoes, big shoes and small.

New shoes, worn shoes, adults and kids all.

From sneakers and sandals to boots, footwear is being donated to a local business to help a charity that serves people in need worldwide.

On Oct. 1, Janesville Physical Therapy Specialists kicked off a shoe drive to benefit Soles4Souls, a Nashville-based charity that collects shoes from warehouses of footwear companies and the closets of people and then distributes them at no cost to people in need.

Less than halfway through the month, at least 100 pairs of shoes had been collected at both of the business locations in Janesville and Evansville.

“We’re beyond filling a box that is 3 feet high, 2 feet wide and 3 feet deep and already got another box going,’’ said Blasé Strobl, owner and physical therapist.

“It’s great. I think we’re doing well,’’ he said.

Strobl, chose Souls4Soles because he said it’s a neat organization that fits perfectly with his profession.

“As a physical therapist, I always look at somebody’s feet whether it’s for shoulder, back or neck pain and recommend footwear in addition to conducting walking and gate analysis,” he said.

“That’s how it clicked for me,” Strobl said. “I got thinking that some people don’t have shoes. And even though some of these (donated) shoes may not be the most supportive, they might be better than nothing and help somebody a bit.’’

Conducting the shoe drive through Oct. 31 also is a way to promote October as physical therapy month, he said.

“For me it’s a win-win situation and something to create interest and excitement in giving and feeling good about yourself,” Strobl said.

Most of the shoes donated to date have come from clients, but others are calling and interested about how they can get involved, too, he said.

Since 2005, Soles4Souls has given away more than 5.5 million pairs of new and gently worn shoes to people in more than 125 countries, including the United States.

“People think about food and shelter as a basic need,” Strobl said.

“But having shoes is a very basic need as well. We’re looking at just trying to help people around the world have the essential needs. Protecting your feet,” he said, “can be a great way to keep our population healthy.”

STORY by SHELLY BIRKELO

PHOTO by KYLE BURSAW

Church Collects Shoes

Local residents in Rocky Mount, NC are being invited to recycle their gently worn shoes beginning this weekend.

St. Andrews Episcopal Church is teaming up with Soles4Souls to collect gently worn footwear and/or donations for people in need, whether they are victims of a natural disaster or subject to living in extreme poverty.

All shoes can be dropped off at St. Andrews Episcopal Church from 9 a.m. to noon on weekdays. A $1 contribution also is sought for each pair to help with shipping expenses. The shoe drive begins Sunday, with St. Andrews preschool and church families hosting a barefoot event, where participants will leave their shoes at the door as an act of worship and selflessness.

St. Andrews Episcopal Church is located at 301 S Circle Drive in Rocky Mount. For more information, please contact Tara Vester at 252-937-2459 or e-mail her at standrewspreschool@live.com.

Shoe Carnival Teams up with Soles4Souls to Distribute Shoes in Four Cities

Shoe Carnival, the popular footwear retailer, joined Soles4Souls to distribute 425 pairs of shoes to those less fortunate throughout the South and Midwest. Starting September 28th, comfortable walking shoes were given out at Missions in Memphis, St Louis, Mobile, AL and Birmingham, AL.

“I want to thank Soles4Souls and Shoe Carnival for coming to the Waterfront Rescue Mission and providing shoes to our men,” said Jessica Howell, Administrative Assistant at Waterfront Rescue Mission in Mobile, AL. “About 150 men received new shoes and they were still talking about the event days later.”

Shoe Carnival has been partnering Soles4Souls since the charity’s inception in 2004. The Indianapolis based retailer has hosted shoe drives, rallied community support and donated shoes from their own stock.

"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."

The four day event started at the Desoto Sunrise Home in Memphis, where members from Soles4Souls and Shoe Carnival personally fit 100 children with new shoes. Volunteers then went on to the St Patrick Center in St. Louis, where over 100 men were fitted and the Waterfront Rescue Mission in Mobile, where 150 men received shoes. The event ended at the Lovelady Center in Birmingham with roughly 75 women personally fitted with new shoes from staff members of Shoe Carnival.

Clinton students go Soles4Souls

Fiona Ryder (left) and Alexander Diaz address Excel Club members on the Soles4Souls program. Eighty-five members of the Clinton High School Excel Club met with Alexander Diaz and Fiona Ryder to kick-off the Soles4Souls shoe collection project.

Soles4Souls facilitates the donation of shoes, which are used to aid the hurting worldwide, according to the organization's website: http://www.soles4souls.com/.

Shoe companies, retailers and individuals can donate footwear (both new and used). Donating parties are eligible for tax advantages. Adviser Rose Solar said she brought the idea of Soles4Souls to the students. "We felt this was a worthwhile endeavor," she said, adding that everyone could get involved. "It would truly be helping others in need." The high school already has a box full of shoes, and ready to collect more. "The teachers have said they are cleaning out their closets," Solar said.

The idea behind gifts of shoes is nothing new to the Soles4Souls team, as it coordinated relief efforts for the Asian Tsunami and Hurricanes Katrina and Rita, netting over one million pairs donated for these disasters. The team originally operated as http://www.katrinashoes.org/ with several churches partnering in the collection and distribution of footwear. Now, the organization works in 45 states and 61 countries around the world.

Diaz challenged the students and the Clinton community to collect 5,000 pairs of shoes to help people all over the world in need, in partnership with the nationwide group. Shoes can be dropped off at Clinton High School, Clinton Middle School and Clinton Elementary School through March 2010.

Shoe donations sought by physical therapists

Local physical therapists hope Midlanders will give their used shoes to help people in need to mark National Physical Therapy Month. Physical Therapy & Rehab Specialists offices in Midland and Coleman will collect gently-worn shoes to be donated through Soles4Souls Inc.

According to the charity, they ship the shoes to people in need in 125 countries, including victims of natural disasters and people living in extreme poverty. Midland physical therapist Ajay Middha said feet issues can cause problems in other parts of the body, so it seemed like a good fit to support a charity that provides footwear to people who might otherwise go without it.

For the month of October, well collect all the shoes and ship them out to help people who need them, Middha said. We throw them in the Dumpster and they go to the landfill, so why not use them for something that can help? Drop boxes are located at Physical Therapy & Rehab Specialists offices in Eastlawn Plaza, 841 S. Saginaw Road; 555 Building, 555 W. Wackerly Suite 500, Midland Community Center, 2205 Jefferson Ave.; and Railway Family Center, 991 E. Railway in Coleman. The collection is part of an effort to educate people about physical therapy. This year, we decided to give back, Middha said. Why not give it to kids who dont even wear shoes?

Soles4Souls gives a pair of shoes away every nine seconds, with 5.5 million pairs donated to date. More shoes are always needed for distribution, and Soles4Souls estimates that Americans have 1.5 billion pairs of unused shoes lying in their closets. We can use the shoes taking up space in your closet to change the world, one pair at a time, said Soles4SoulsFounder and CEO Wayne Elsey. We need our partners in Midland to STEP UP and get behind our call for action. Its one of the most simple yet profound gifts you can make, because it will greatly improve someones life in the most difficult of times, he said.

People and companies wishing more information can visit the organizations website at www.giveshoes.org.

Soles4Souls Partners with Aid Organizations to Deliver Immediate Relief to Victims of Natural Disasters in the Pacific

Soles4Souls, the international charity dedicated to providing free shoes to people in need, announced today that they are sending three separate shipments of emergency supplies to people in need affected by the natural disasters in American Samoa, Indonesia and The

Philippines.

In conjunction with Operation Compassion and other aid organizations,Soles4Souls is sending 15 shipping containers full of shoes, clothing, food,blankets and medical supplies to victims of the various natural disasters.

"The past few weeks have been devastating for millions of people living in the Pacific Rim countries," said Wayne Elsey, Founder and CEO of Soles4Souls, Inc. "It's very important that we come together to send emergency supplies so that the survivors can start the rebuilding process as quickly as possible. They need our help right now in order to reduce the chance for disease, infection and starvation," he said.

"As a family footwear retailer, Shoe Carnival cares deeply about the communities and families left to rebuild after the disasters in the Pacific Rim," said Todd Beurman, Senior Vice President of Marketing for Shoe Carnival. "It is our hope that the shoes donated by Shoe Carnival and Keds will enable those affected communities to begin the rebuilding process."

Soles4Souls and its partners are sending six containers of supplies to Indonesia, where 777 people are confirmed dead and another 3,000 are missing. The Indonesian government said that rescuers are desperately trying to clear debris and dig out survivors of the 7.6 magnitude earthquake that rocked western Indonesia.

Another six containers of emergency supplies are en route to American Samoa,where 155 people are confirmed dead and many are still missing after four waves of a tsunami ripped through the Pacific islands following an under water earthquake on September 30.

"These emergencies cannot be ignored, and we call on all of our supporters and partner charities to dig deep and send aid as fast as possible," said Elsey. "We are extremely proud to collaborate with our friends and partner organizations that care so deeply about people in other corners of the world," he said.

To learn more about the emergency efforts, visit http://www.giveshoes.org/ or call(615) 391-5723.

Paper, Plastics, and Shoes? Georgia Recycling Coalition Announces Placement of Shoe Recycling Bins at Drop-off Locations to Benefit Soles4Souls.

Georgia residents are invited to recycle their 'gently worn' shoes for people in need...

Now, along with their soda cans and old newspapers, Georgia residents can bring their gently worn shoes to recycling drop-off locations throughout the state. In partnership with Soles4Souls®, the GRC announces they will place specially designated bins at their locations to offer an environmentally friendly alternative to residents throwing their worn shoes away.

"We are delighted to be involved with an effort in Georgia to reduce potential waste while supporting a philanthropic cause. Repurposing shoes that we no longer wear is something that everyone can understand and easily accomplish through local community collection programs," said Gloria Hardegree, Executive Director, Georgia Recycling Coalition.

The recycled shoes will be shipped to Soles4Souls who will distribute them to some of the 1.5 billion people world-wide without shoes.

"We are proud to partner with the Georgia Recycling Coalition in this call to action," said Wayne Elsey, Founder and CEO of Soles4Souls, Inc. "This initiative will not only help put shoes on the feet of those in need, but it also furthers the global effort to reuse."

It is estimated, every year millions of shoes across the globe end up in landfills or are disposed of in some other way. Soles4Souls will take your gently worn shoes and repurpose them in one of 125 countries around the world. A small percentage which cannot be distributed will be recycled.

People and companies interested in donating or learning more about the GRC initiative can visit the organization's website at www.giveshoes.org.

St. John's Church in Walhalla Collects Over 600 Pairs of Shoes for Soles4Souls

Changing the world, one pair of shoes at a time
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When St. John's Lutheran Church in Walhalla decided to participate in Soles4Souls, not many expected the response to be so overwhelming. The church was able to collect more than 600 pairs of shoes that will go to the less fortunate.

St. John’s Lutheran Church held a shoe drive last week that aided in the largest shoe donation operation that reaches needy people worldwide.

Soles4Souls is a non-profit organization that began after founder, Wayne Elsey, started watching footage of the 2004 tsunami aftermath.

He felt compelled to do something after he watched a single shoe wash ashore amidst the overwhelming devastation. It was then that he began making phone calls to executives in the footwear industry.

With his efforts, 250,000 pairs of shoes were sent to Southeast Asia.

A year later, Hurricane Katrina hit and he started to make those same phone calls again.

This time, Elsey was able to round up 1 million pairs to send off to the disaster zone.

After emerging successfully with his shoe donation efforts, he decided to focus on the mission full-time.

Now, millions of pairs of shoes are sent all over the world, helping people
shelter their feet when they weren’t able to before.

"I'm happy to be able to help people with such a simple mission," Elsey said. "The growth of this organization has been rapid, and I am excited to get involved on a daily basis so that I can devote more time to a cause that makes a difference in people's lives.”

And the people at St. John’s in Walhalla felt the same way, as its shoe drive collected 600 pairs of gently used shoes that will go to needy people of all ages.

“Thank you to St. John's,” said Pastor David Coffman. “We had a tremendous response to Soles4 Souls. Think of how many people will have shoes to wear because we cleaned our closets. This is a great example of the community being stewards of the earth.”

Soles4Souls receives large donations from footwear companies, retailers, churches, nonprofit ministries, civic groups, schools and individuals.

For more information on the project, visit www.soles4souls.org

Sports Chalet Collecting Shoes for Shoe Charity Soles4Souls

Soles4Souls started not quite five years ago, Jan. 2005, with the Indonesian tsunami that did so much damage. Wayne Elsey, CEO of a shoe company, was watching a news report that showed one shoe washing up on shore with the tide.

And while he knew what he could do might be limited, he did realize that he could do something to help. So he founded the Nashville-based non-profit that collects new and gently-worn footwear for people in need, whether victims of a natural disaster or those living in poverty.

Soles4Souls collects new shoes from the warehouses of footwear companies and gently used ones from closets, sorts them, and distributes the shoes, free of charge.

Since 2005, over 5.5 million pairs have been distributed to people in over 125 countries, including Kenya, Thailand, Nepal and the United States (about 55 percent go to help people in our own country).

Sport Chalet is a collection point for these shoes, starting Monday and ending

Oct. 12. There will be designated collection boxes in each Sport Chalet location.

Look for an associate so that you can get a donation receipt that will be sent to you after the shoes arrive at and are processed in the distribution center in Roanoke, Alabama (allow about a month.)

The three Sport Chalet locations closest to us are: 940 S. Grand Ave., Glendora, (626) 335-3344; Westfield Santa Anita Mall, 400 S. Baldwin Ave., Arcadia,

(626) 446-5904; and 2 Sport Chalet Drive, La Cañada

Flintridge, (818) 790-9800.

Elizabeth Kirk, from Soles4Souls, said the biggest need was for sturdy walking, work and athletic shoes for both men and women and all children's shoes. When asked about heels for women, she said that nice-looking pumps were often needed for those interviewing for jobs.

Soles4Souls RV Tour Stopping in Connecticut to Collet Shoes

It is an idea that is beautiful in its simplicity: collect shoes from people who have too many, and give them to those without any.

The Nashville-based Soles4Souls will collect new and gently-used footwear at several area sites this week, and the charity's RV Tour will stop at the Stride-Rite store in the Goodwives Shopping Center in Darien on Thursday from 2 to 5 p.m.

All of the area Stride-Rite stores, including those at the Westfield Trumbull mall and the Danbury Fair mall, and in Westport, will be drop-off centers for donated stores, said Gail Stevens, the company's regional licensee.

Stevens and her husband have already donated more than 5,000 pairs of shoes, most from their Milford warehouse. "Before we connected with Soles4Soles we contacted the U.S. Army, and they brought the shoes over to Iraq, where our soldiers give them to children and create goodwill,'' Stevens said.

The shoes her company has donated so far have been new--inventory that has not sold or is out of season--but Stevens said the Stride-Rite stores will accept donations of used shoes.

"We will have special discounts for customers who donate a pair and then buy a pair of shoes on Thursday,'' she said. "But since school just started and a lot of people recently bought shoes, we'll offer a coupon that [donors] can use the next time they do need shoes.''

Souls4Soles has been active in Milford and lower Fairfield County for more than two years. The organization

sponsors a Barefoot Week every June that culminates in Barefoot Sunday, at which churchgoers are encouraged to donate the shoes off their feet or pairs from the back of the closets.

The Mary Taylor United Methodist Church collected more than 500 pairs during the event in June, the Rev. Virginia Hoch said. "It was very successful and we plan to do it again next year.'' The shoes collected at Mary Taylor were shipped to Soles4Souls' distribution center by Stevens.

More than half of all the shoes collected remain in the U.S., said Elizabeth Kirk, the charity's spokeswoman.

"Our founder, Wayne Elsey, was inspired to start a non-profit by the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina,'' Kirk said Thursday. "We've given shoes to people affect by the California wildfires and to men being released from prison. We make sure that they have a pair of dress shoes to go out on job interviews.'' Students at St. Catherine of Sienna school, at 190 Shelton Road in Trumbull, are also participating in the Soles4Souils drive this week.

Donated new or gently worn shoes can be dropped off during school hours all week; they'll be given to the charity on Thursday.

Sylvania and Alan Clark, retired empty-nesters, will be driving the Soles4SolesRV as it makes stops in Long Island and southern Connecticut this week.

Kirk said the couple has been on the road since March, traveling at first randomly but now with the intent of reaching the Pacific Northwest by Christmas, the publicist said.

Along the way the Clarks collect donations and provide education about "shoe inequity.'' "Your used pair can be someone else's new pair,'' Stevens said.

"They've already distributed 5 million pairs of shoes to 125 countries.'' Kirk said that no shoes, however worn, will be rejected.

"We classify them into categories: A,B,C and D. The Ds are shoes that someone has worn for years to mow the lawn. There's no much we can do with those, but we'll recycle them.

"One thing for sure is that we want to keep shoes out of the landfills,'' the organization's spokeswoman said.

For more information visit: www.giveshoes.org

Soles4Souls(R), the Shoe Charity, Partners with Aid Organizations to Deliver Immediate Relief to Victims of Natural Disasters in the Pacific

Soles4Souls, the international charity dedicated to providing free shoes to people in need, announced today that they are sending three separate shipments of emergency supplies to people in need affected by the natural disasters in American Samoa, Indonesia and The Philippines.

In conjunction with Operation Compassion and other aid organizations, Soles4Souls is sending 15 shipping containers full of shoes, clothing, food, blankets and medical supplies to victims of the various natural disasters.

"The past few weeks have been devastating for millions of people living in the Pacific Rim countries," said Wayne Elsey, Founder and CEO of Soles4Souls, Inc. "It's very important that we come together to send emergency supplies so that the survivors can start the rebuilding process as quickly as possible. They need our help right now in order to reduce the chance for disease, infection and starvation," he said.

"As a family footwear retailer, Shoe Carnival cares deeply about the communities and families left to rebuild after the disasters in the Pacific Rim," said Todd Beurman, Senior Vice President of Marketing for Shoe Carnival. "It is our hope that the shoes donated by Shoe Carnival and Keds will enable those affected communities to begin the rebuilding process."

Soles4Souls and its partners are sending six containers of supplies to Indonesia, where 777 people are confirmed dead and another 3,000 are missing. The Indonesian government said that rescuers are desperately trying to clear debris and dig out survivors of the 7.6 magnitude earthquake that rocked western Indonesia.

Another six containers of emergency supplies are en route to American Samoa, where 155 people are confirmed dead and many are still missing after four waves of a tsunami ripped through the Pacific islands following an underwater earthquake on September 30.

And in The Philippines, residents are bracing for "Super Typhoon Parma," which is estimated to make landfall on Saturday. This storm is certain to compound the effects of last weekend's floods, where 293 people died and thousands were rendered homeless. Heavy rain is already falling on the islands and over 80,000 people are living in evacuation centers.

"These emergencies cannot be ignored, and we call on all of our supporters and partner charities to dig deep and send aid as fast as possible," said Elsey. "We are extremely proud to collaborate with our friends and partner organizations that care so deeply about people in other corners of the world," he said.

To learn more about the emergency efforts, visit www.giveshoes.org or call (615) 391-5723.

SUNY Potsdam collects gently worn shoes to benefit Soles4Souls

POTSDAM, NY - SUNY Potsdam invites everyone to recycle their gently worn shoes for people in need through the shoe charity Soles4Souls Inc. from Monday, Oct. 19, to Sunday, Nov. 8, at the Maxcy Hall Fitness Center and Student Government Association Office in the Barrington Student Union.

It is estimated that Americans have 1.5 billion pairs of unused shoes lying in their closets. Soles4Souls Inc. collects this abandoned footwear and gives away a pair every 17 seconds.

Molly Brennan, SUNY Potsdam women’s basketball assistant coach, is leading the effort.

“This idea was brought on by the fact that I have a bunch of old shoes that are still in pretty good shape, and I don't know what to do with them,” said Brennan. “And, of course, helping those who are in need is always something that makes me feel good.”

Those receiving the shoes range from victims of natural disasters to those living in extreme poverty.

Soles4Souls is a Nashville-based charity that collects shoes from the warehouses of footwear companies and the closets of people around the country. The charity distributes these shoes free of charge to people in need, regardless of race, religion, class, or any other criteria.

Since 2005, Soles4Souls has given away more than 5.5 million pairs of new and gently worn shoes. The shoes have been distributed to people in over 125 countries, including Kenya, Thailand, Nepal and the United States.

Soles4Souls is a 501(c)(3) recognized by the IRS and donating parties are eligible for tax advantages. Visit www.giveshoes.org for more information about the organization.

Bakers shoe stores to offer 10% discount in exchange for gently worn boots to benefit Soles4Souls

Shoppers who donate a pair of gently worn boots to Bakers shoe stores in will receive a 10% discount off a new pair of boots.

The promotion is good from Oct. 4 through Oct. 13. All 222 Bakers stores will donate boots collected from customers to shoe charity Soles4Souls.

"Forgotten shoes just sitting in closets all over the United States are someone else’s dream come true," said Peter Edison, chief executive of Bakers Footwear Group.

Soles4Souls, the Shoe Charity, Announces Launch of 'Texting' Donor Campaign Through the Mobile Giving Foundation

Soles4Souls, in close partnership with the Mobile Giving Foundation and Distributive Networks (DN), is now accepting donations for their shoe charity through text messages. More than 270 million Americans have mobile devices, and 99% of those phones support text messaging - the reasoning behind Soles4Souls decision to make donations and fundraising as easy as typing the word 'SHOES' and pressing send. They will join the growing portfolio of other prestigious non-profit organizations that accept donations through mobile texts.

Mobile Giving complements the simplicity of Soles4Souls' cause and allows supporters to give easily in an instant, whether riding in the car or at a live concert, without providing credit card information, participating in a lengthy phone call, or having to visit a website. Offering the freedom to solicit donations through spokespersons, live events, media appearances, print, television, radio and web, Mobile Giving creates another platform of communication by allowing the charity to begin donor dialogue with their supporters.

"The innovation of Mobile Giving provides a new easy channel for our supporters," said Wayne Elsey, Founder and CEO of Soles4Souls, Inc. "It eliminates the 'Why' and creates a 'Why Not' giving scenario." The plan works with all major cell phone providers (T-Mobile, Verizon, Sprint, and AT&T) and allows users to text a key word to a 5-digit phone number and a $5 donation will be sent to Soles4Souls through the carrier. The $5 donation will appear on the subscriber's subsequent month's bill.

People and companies interested in donating can visit the organization's website at http://www.giveshoes.org and follow the instructions.

Clarks begins Soles4Souls shoe drive at Shoe Sensation

The Clarks Companies, a casual and comfort footwear company, recently announced a shoe drive to benefit Soles4Souls at all Shoe Sensation locations.

Until Oct. 5, Shoe Sensation will offer $10 off a Clarks footwear purchase to all customers who bring in gently-worn pairs of shoes to help support Soles4Souls.

Soles4Souls and Shoe Sensation will be collecting the footwear to ship to people in need, whether they are victims of natural disasters or subject to living in extreme poverty. It is estimated that Americans have 1.5 billion pairs of unused shoes lying in their closets. The charity can use each and every one of these pairs to make a tangible difference in someone's life.

Shoe Sensation will be hosting this shoe drive at all of their locations until Oct. 5. For a listing of all store locations and details, log on to www.shoesensation.com.

People and companies interested in donating can log on to Soles4Souls' Web site at www.giveshoes.org, and follow the instructions.

For more information about Clarks footwear, log on to www.clarksusa.com.

Bakers Announces National Boot Week and Shoe Drive

The shoe retailer Bakers is recognizing National Boot Week by inviting consumers to drop off their shoes to be donated to Soles4Souls. Anyone donating a pair of new or "gently worn" shoes will be receiving a 10% discount for a new pair of boots.

"Soles4Souls is a wonderful organization that brings humanity and help to the world with a generosity of spirit and significant footwear donations," said Peter Edison, Chairman and CEO of Bakers Footwear Group. "Bakers is thrilled to assist their efforts by giving our customers the opportunity to show their support for those in need. Forgotten shoes just sitting in closets all over the United States are someone else's dream come true," he said.

Bakers has 222 stores across the country that will participate starting October 4 through October 13. Click here to find a store location near you.