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.