10,000 Shoes on your Doorstep

     Most people have closets cluttered with a far-too-many shoes. Now imagine having thousands of used shoes arrive at your house daily. That's what happens at one of the four Soles4Souls collection centers. Allan and I visited the Las Vegas warehouse to drop off some donated shoes people had given us It's amazing how often people see the Soles4Souls RV and motion us to pull over so they can give us used shoes from the trunk of their car! They always say, "I've had these shoes in my car for several weeks and didn't know what to do with them."

While dropping off the shoes, we met the friendly warehouse staff and volunteers who manage the thousands of shoes arriving on a daily basis. These guys are very efficient, so keep those shoes coming!
                                                                                         -Silvana

The Soles4Souls RV is making its way across the country as a part of The Great American Shoe Drive. Allen & Silvana Clark have been traveling the country distributing shoes & promoting our cause. Next week, the RV makes its way to Los Angeles to collect & distribute shoes.

Motorcycle Boots & JellyPops

     The Soles4Souls RV is making its way across the country as a part of The Great American Shoe Drive. Allen & Silvana Clark have been traveling the country distributing shoes & promoting our cause. This week, Silvana shares stories from last week's distribution in Salt Lake City:

     The statistics are horrifying. It is estimated that 50% of deaf women are sexually abused. The Sego Lily Center for the Abused Deaf (SLCAD) is an advocacy agency designed to meet the specific needs of Deaf, Deaf/Blind and Hard of Hearing victims of domestic violence and sexual assault in Salt Lake City. Allan and I were privileged to be able to give this agency high-quality, new shoes. Last week, our distribution at the refugee center was very loud with people speaking in their native languages to each other from one side of the room to another.
    
 Our distribution at the Community Center for the Deaf was a bit on the quite side as people used their hands to sign to each other. With the help of two interpreters we were able to fit men, women and children with shoes. Most of the participants are on SSI or live off Social Security checks and can seldom afford new shoes. We had the best time matching shoes to each person’s “personality”.

      One woman entered the room with spunk and energy and left with a pair of sparkling pink shoes. Another woman had a job where she needed dressier shoes, but couldn’t afford to buy a pair. The slip-on shoes donated by JellyPops were perfect for her.

   Then of course was the thrill of finding a pair of shoes for a deaf Harley Rider!

   We were able to acquire the Olympic torch from the 2002 Winter Olympics in Salt Lake City. It was neat to see peoples faces light up when they got to hold the torch.

     Later, a staff member commented that she had never seen so many people smiling and walking with a new “spring” in their step.

     “You gave our clients something special,” she told us. What more could we ask for?

                                            -Silvana

Our Next Stop: Los Angeles

- Check out The Great American Shoe Drive Map for the complete list of the cities, dates & event details.
-  Follow the tour on Twitter & use the hashtag #giveshoes when you make a donation.
- Tell us about your Great American Shoe Drive experience.

What makes America great?

   You could probably formulate 1,000 different responses to this question. Here at Soles4Souls, we are frequently reminded of one attribute that makes America great...Generosity.  

   Time and time again we've seen Americans step up and act generously to meet a need. Just this year, we've had major natural disasters both internationally and locally. In both cases, people have risen to the occasion. We are constantly inspired by stories of people who have used their abilities and resources to impact the lives of others.

   With that said, we're excited to announce our partnership with Footwear News to give you the opportunity to show your generosity once again...

106 days. 22 cities. 6,000 miles. Thousands of lives changed.

The Great American Shoe Drive is a cross-country tour that lets you to meet the needs of people in your community. All of the shoes that are donated are redistributed locally.

 

   We kicked off the drive this week in Salt Lake City at the Outdoor Retailer Show where we will be collecting gently used shoes. The shoes will then be distributed to the Sego Lily Center for the Abused Deaf. 

   Next week we're headed to Las Vegas to collect shoes WSA Show & FN Platform Show.

Want more info?

- Check out  The Great American Shoe Drive Map for the complete list of the cities, dates & event  details.
- Follow the tour on Twitter & use the hashtag #giveshoes when you make a donation.
- Tell us about your Great American Shoe Drive experience

What are some other things that make America great?