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.

Barefoot Sunday Results in 700 Pair at Connecticut Church

There were flip-flops and clogs, high heels and sandals.

There were black Converse sneakers, red slip on Jollys and brown leathery work boots.

There were shoes in boxes and shoes in bags. There were shoes on benches. People even gave the shoes off their feet.

The shoes lined the left side of the altar at Mary Taylor Memorial United Methodist Church in Milford, CT. They filled a giant sneaker created by Ryan Lapadula, a 9-year-old third-grader, as the church celebrated its first Barefoot Sunday.

"I suggested that anyone who wanted to experience what it's like not to have shoes, go barefoot during the service," said Leigh Bak, who coordinated the event with Stacy Meszros and Rachel Merva, all of Milford. "We have a very giving and generous congregation, so I'm not surprised."

Sometime this week the shoes will be shipped to Roanoke, Ala., where they will be sorted by type, size and style.

Bak said her church became aware of the need for shoes when several members went on a mission in Vietnam last year.

"We sent hockey bags full of flip-flops with them which they handed out to young girls who make their living picking through garbage piles. Most of the girls are barefoot and run the risk of not only cutting themselves but picking up parasitic infections in their feet."

Mary Taylor Memorial United Methodist Church was one of nearly 200 churches that participated in the second annual Barefoot Sunday.

"We are definitely going to do this again next year," said the Rev. Virginia Hoch, senior pastor.

Gladeville UMC to Gather Shoes

On June 7, Gladeville United Methodist Church in Gladeville, TN and hundreds of other congregations across the country are participating in Barefoot Sunday. Participants leave their shoes on the altar to be donated to the poor. Barefoot Sunday allows people to remove their shoes and walk out barefoot.

"Churches have always been incredibly responsive to our programs," said Wayne Elsey, founder and chief executive officer of Soles4Souls.

The efforts of Gladeville United Methodist Church and participating congregations will go directly toward helping put shoes on the feet of barefoot children. Gladeville Church will have a time during each morning service for new and gently worn shoes to be left at the altar. Gladeville has a contemporary service at 8:15 a.m. and a traditional service at 10:30 a.m.


Prior to Barefoot Sunday, shoes will be collected during regular business hours at the Gladeville office of Wilson Bank & Trust and Monday-Friday 9 a.m.-4 p.m. at the church office. Gladeville United Methodist Church is located at 8770 Stewarts Ferry Pike in Gladeville.

Westhampton Christian Church

Westhampton Christian Church collected over 150 pairs of shoes, weighing in over 200 lbs. These shoes that were donated on “Barefoot Sunday” will be donated to Soles4Souls to be distributed domestically to families in West Virginia, and internationally to Guatemala, Nepal and Myramar.

After the service on that Sunday, the children in the church took off their shoes and went up and down the aisles collecting change in their shoes.

Great job Westhampton Christian Church!

Church in Indiana to 'Step Up'

A shoe drive will be take place June 1st at Cross Lane Community Church in Terre Haute, to benefit Soles4Souls. The church is located at 2204 Lafayette Ave and they will be receiving shoes from 9 AM until 1 PM. Cross Lane will be joining many other churches and businesses across the U.S. on "National Barefoot Day."

"National Barefoot Day" is June 1st and is the kickoff to a week long event with various activities scheduled around the country, which will be known as Barefoot Week. There will be shoe drives, fun runs and walkathons, golf tournaments, retail trade-in events, parties and more. All participants are encouraged to donate at least one pair of new or gently worn shoes.

“We can use the shoes taking up space in your closet to change the world one pair at a time,” CEO and founder Wayne Elsey said. “We need our partners in North America to ‘STEP UP’ and get behind our call for action. It’s one of the most simple yet profound gifts you can make, because it will greatly improve someone’s life in most difficult of times,” he said.

In addition, other people, churches, schools and companies interested in donating to the effort can visit www.giveshoes.org and follow the instructions.