Girl Scouts Collect 500 Pair

The Junior Girl Scout Troop 1697 from Orange, CA collected 500 pairs of shoes for Sole4Souls. The girls delivered 392 pairs of the gently used shoes to New Balance in the South Coast Plaza where they will be shipped to the Soles4Souls warehouse in Las Vegas for distribution.

The shoe drive was completed with the help & support of their troop families as well as that of the Nohl Canyon Elementary School families and Girl Scout Service Unit 2. The Village at Orange Mall World Market also helped by donating the packing boxes for all the shoes.

It has been a busy and productive year for the Girls from Troop 1697. They have provided new tooth brushes for the needy in South East Asia, donated a complete Thanksgiving Turkey Dinner for a family of 6 and participated in the American Cancer Society Relay for Life.

Great job girls!

Shoes Given to the Needy in San Rafael

For a person living on the street, sleeping in a doorway or camping in open space, one of the most critical things is to have healthy feet. A homeless person spends a large part of the time walking around, and discomfort or sore feet can inhibit that person from functioning. A good pair of shoes can mean the difference between feeling able to move around and spending the day in discomfort or pain; a difference that allows them to work or look for work and get around to the services they need.

Here are a couple of stories from men who recently received donated shoes from Soles4Souls in San Rafael, CA.

Stephen (above) is full of energy and highly motivated to change his circumstances. He camps out on the hill overlooking town, and is out every day looking for work. Because his income is limited, he tends to walk everywhere. Stephen was wearing shoes with holes in the soles. He was thrilled to get out of his very old dress shoes and into something new. The shoes we provided Stephen were comfortable walking shoes.

Julio (above) works in the construction trade, yet work is scarce right now and he can’t afford to keep up rent on a room. He lives outside in the industrial area of town and comes down every morning looking for work from independent contractors. His shoes were old and worn and smelled terrible. He was having a hard time getting around in them. A new pair of shoes and a few pairs of socks put this man in a position to keep working.

Boy Scouts Helping with Drive

Last week we blogged about Aldersgate United Methodist Church collecting shoes for Soles4Souls. With the help of some outstanding boy scouts, the shoe drive is moving along well. Here is an update printed in the Saturday edition of the Montgomery Advertiser:

Aldersgate United Methodist Church was a collection point for shoes today as Boy Scouts and their leaders took part in the “Soles4Souls” national program.

Most shoes were usable and some appeared to be new as church members and scouts took turns accepting them from vehicles that pulled into the church parking lot.

As the volunteers waited for donations, Scout adviser Jim Hinkle occasionally checked on shoes that had been deposited in a large room at the church.

“We’ve been putting them in here the past couple of days and will make sure they get to the right place for distribution,” said Hinkle.

Soles4Souls, a Nashville-based organization, has distributed more than 4 million pairs of shoes to people in more than 70 counties.

The collection program is being held until May 17, and the Aldersgate scouts elected to get as many as they could today.

The scouts, who are members of the Aldersgate-sponsored Troop 307, took turns during the day holding up a sign along Vaughn Road, encouraging motorists to bring shoes to the church.
Khristen Carlson, who coordinated the shoe collection project, said they will be delivered to the Soles4Souls main warehouse in the east Alabama community of Roanoke.

“Having a pair of shoes is something that most of us take for granted,” she said. “Soles4Souls donates a pair of shoes to someone in need every 17 seconds.”

One of those who drove to Aldersgate on this morning was William Wood, who attends Frazer Memorial United Methodist Church.

“This is a great program, and I’m happy to do what I can to see that needy people get some shoes,” said Wood, who brought more than a dozen pairs to the church.

He said he and his wife often donate shoes and clothes to charitable organizations but decided to give the Aldersgate scouts their shoes this time.

High School Student Collecting Shoes for Needy

Molly McQuade, a sophomore from Joel Barlow High School in Redding, PA wants to take advantage of spring cleaning efforts by Redding and Easton residents.

For the next week, she is collecting shoes for Soles4Souls. Molly hopes while people are going through their closets as part of spring cleaning, they will consider helping others and donating shoes.

She first heard about the organization through her father, Michael, who works at ESPN. A story on the network featured a basketball team that traveled to Third World countries contributing shoes.

“I thought this would be a unique way to help those in need,” Molly said. “It’s not what you think of as an everyday charity, but shoes are really needed.”

“Plus, everyone can contribute,” she added.

Shoe donation boxes are set up for the next week at Joel Barlow High School, John Read Middle School, Redding Elementary School, Helen Keller Middle School, Samuel Staples Elementary School, the Redding Community Center on Lonetown Road and the Easton Community Center.

BRIEF Aldersgate UMC collecting shoes

Aldersgate United Methodist Church in Montgomery, AL at 6610 Vaughn Road will be collecting new or slightly worn shoes to aid those in need worldwide. Shoes collected will be donated to Soles4Souls, where they will be cleaned and shipped to areas of need.

Collection bins are available throughout the church, and a community wide drop-off event is scheduled for 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday in the church's front parking lot.

Members of the Boy Scout Troop 307, sponsored by the Aldersgate United Methodist Men, will be on hand to collect donations.

Khristen Carlson, coordinator of the shoe drive, said the donated shoes will be banded together in pairs and then delivered to the Soles4Souls primary warehouse facility in Roanoke, VA.

"Having a pair of shoes to wear is something that most of us take for granted," Carlson said in a statement. "Soles4Souls donates a pair of shoes to someone in need every 17 seconds. Our mission at Aldersgate is 'To know Jesus and to make Him known.' This is one way in which we can show the love of Christ to those in need."

The shoe drive will continue through May 17.  

Shoes Distributed to Kids in India

Soles4Souls recently donated shoes to Peace Builders, a non-profit that ships aid to children in war-torn and disaster-stricken countries. Peace Builders distributed the kids athletic shoes to orphans in India.

Diane Eskenazi, the Director and founder of Peace Builders, said many of the children had never experienced lace up shoes. Adults were enlisted to do the unlacing and lacing and most children needed to have the function and position of the tongue demonstrated for them, she said. Soon the same boys would put these newly acquired skills to use as they eagerly and generously helped the younger children.

"All of the children couldn't wait to put their shoes to the test," said Eskenzi. "They were running, jumping, dancing or just standing and admiring their newly shod feet!”

learning to tie shoes

DIANI Sole Shakedown

After a hugely successful turnout last year, the team at DIANI is gearing up for its third annual Soles4Souls event. DIANI, located in Santa Barbara, CA has stepped up in a big way in years past, collecting more than 1,000 pairs of gently worn men’s, women’s, and children’s flat-soled shoes.

Drop yours by the shop anytime between now and the big soirée, which will go down on Thursday, May 21, from 6-10 p.m., with hosts Carolyn Murphy and Tracy and Noah Wyle, and which will feature wine and hors d’oeuvres by Demetria Estate.

DIANI is located on 1324 State Street, Suite H. For more information, visit http://www.dianiboutique.com.

Shoe Sellers Give to Shelters

Executives of the National Shoe Retailers Association decided to include a community service event during their annual conference at St. Pete Beach. Partnering with Soles4Souls, the group is working to donate more than 1,500 pairs of shoes to needy residents at the Pinellas Hope transitional camp today and other shelters across the county.

The group first contacted Soles4Souls six months ago to see if they would be interested in assisting with the project.

"They didn't think it would be appropriate to do all the things they normally do," said Chris Carmichael, who works for Soles4Souls and was on hand to help with the event. "They wanted to all come out for a day of service."

The conference, at the Don CeSar Beach Resort, will feature several executives from major shoe retailers across the country, including Nike, Timberland and Kenneth Cole.

Carmichael partnered with Rhonda Abbott, manager of social services planning for the city of St. Petersburg, who identified Pinellas Hope and two other shelters that could benefit from leftover shoes. All the shoes delivered will be new. People who are unable to find shoes in their size will receive a voucher for a pair to be shipped to the agency or shelter where they receive services.

"I was glad that we were chosen, because they travel all over the world doing this," Abbott said. She added that the donation was coming at a time when charitable contributions are low because of the weakening economy and more families are needy.

Shoe Carnival Joins Forces with Soles4Souls

Shoe Carnival and Soles4Souls are partnering for the second straight year on a promotion aimed at putting shoes on the feet of people who need them most. From May 6th until May 26th, all Shoe Carnival customers will have the opportunity to donate $1 during checkout, which will go directly to helping people in need.

Funds raised during the Shoe Carnival promotion 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.

"Shoe Carnival is proud to continue our support of Soles4Souls through this exclusive fundraising program," said Todd Beurman, Senior Vice President of Marketing for Shoe Carnival. "Their mission to provide shoes for those in need is a message that resonates with our customers. The funds raised in our stores will make a meaningful impact in the lives of people in need around the world."

In addition to the fundraising program in all 300 Shoe Carnival stores, Soles4Souls and Shoe Carnival are partnering in seven major Shoe Carnival markets for shoe giveaways to local charities. Together, Soles4Souls and Shoe Carnival are donating thousands of new shoes to shelters and agencies in Atlanta, Tampa Bay, Jacksonville, New Orleans, Nashville, Cincinnati and Louisville.

21-Year-Old Entrepreneur Pledges to Help Children in Need

21-year-old entrepreneur and footwear retailer Alex Curavo is pledging to donate more than 1,000 pair of shoes to children in third world countries by the end of the year through his newest venture, My Kids Feet.

"More than 300 million children around the world walk on dirt roads and in dangerous debris-filled fields every day," said Curavo. "I witnessed this first hand last January while working for another non-profit organization in rural areas of the Dominican Republic. It broke my heart to see young children walking around barefoot on unpaved roads covered in trash and broken glass. I want to do something to help those children."

My Kids Feet has partnered with Soles4Souls and has pledged to donate one new pair of shoes or sandals to a child in need for every pair of Morgan & Milo or Dinosoles brand children's shoes sold on the company's website in 2009.

"Being a new start-up with modest sales, my goal is to donate 1,000 pair of shoes by the end of the year. If we can do more, I would be very excited," Curavo said.

Customers can join the cause by purchasing a pair of Morgan & Milo or Dinosoles shoes for their children at http://www.mykidsfeet.com/ or donating a pair of shoes directly by mailing them to a Soles4Souls collection center.

Shoes on the Mall

Thirty thousand pairs of shoes were laid out around the reflecting pool near the U.S. Capitol to draw attention to the genocide in the Darfur region of Sudan. Each pair of shoes represented 100 lives lost.

Students from Loudoun County's Briar Woods High School (Ashburn, VA) collected the shoes, which will be distributed by Soles4Souls to Sudan and other parts of the world.

"The work that the students put in prior to this event really means so much," said Paul Wilson, president of the Soles4Souls World Outreach Division. "Some people do not have one pair of shoes."

Many of the shoes will be distributed in Sudan, with the rest given to homeless shelters, missions and international aid organizations across North America and other parts of the world. The remainders that are unacceptable for distribution will be recycled for playground surfaces.

Nick Carmean, 17, a senior at Briar Woods, said: "History teaches us that you have to pay attention to world events, and with the genocide taking place in Darfur, you have to do something about it."

Carmean was a student in Logan Williams's international relations class, which spearheaded the project. Former heavy weight boxing champion Riddick Bowe and Nyasha Zimucha, Miss Africa USA 2008-09, were also on hand for the event.

Prarie Striders Shoe Drive

Prairie Striders running club of Brookings, SD is joining with Soles4Souls to collect new and used shoes for the needy.

Strider board member Lyle Claussen has been working on a low-key approach with the group since last summer and collected 103 pairs. Shoes can be left at the office of physical therapist Chuck McCullough in the Avera Brookings Medical Clinic, 400 22nd Ave., and Bartling's Nike Shoes, 410 Fourth St.

Claussen said the shoes should have "some life left" in them, but they need not be just running shoes.

"Soles4Souls accepts dress shoes, men and women's , work boots. About anything that people have, they can use," Claussen said.

Freed-Hardeman Group Collects More than 1,000 Pairs of Shoes

At various locations on the Freed-Hardeman University campus in Henderson, TN, boxes are full of shoes. Dress shoes, tennis shoes, flip-flops and more are filling donation boxes for Soles4Souls.

The College Democrats of Freed-Hardeman started a shoe and money drive on March 24, said Greg Massey. He is the faculty sponsor of the College Democrats at the university. Those students and others are sponsoring the shoe drive and are collecting new and gently worn shoes of all types and sizes, he said.

"We will deliver them to Soles4Souls in Nashville," Massey said.

Justin Spurlock, a junior education major, is president of the College Democrats. The group decided this could be a great community service project.

"This started off with just a few people, but then others started coming to us asking to help," he said. "Eventually, the education department and the student teachers club raised about $200 and bought several new pairs of shoes."

Spurlock said he was surprised by the amount of shoes they have collected. In the attic of the building that houses Massey's office, more than 1,000 pairs have been sorted and are ready to be delivered.

Massey said FHU's chapter of the College Democrats became rejuvenated in January, and this shoe drive helped the club grow.

"It's not about politics but about empowering people," he said. "And giving shoes is a good first step in helping people."

Soles4Souls Collector Aims for 100,000 Pair

Growing up with his mother, two brothers and a sister in lovely and mountainous Cayey, Puerto Rico, Alexander Diaz was poor, but, he said, he "always had a pair of shoes." Today, he is working to make sure that 100,000 needy people around the world receive the same.

"I would be the first individual to donate 100,000 pairs of shoes to Soles4Souls. That is my goal. I always reach my goals," he said.

Diaz said his family in Puerto Rico valued shoes as something special, not something to be taken for granted.

"My mother worked hard to provide for us. We worked hard for a pair of shoes. That's what I wanted for my birthday. When my feet are happy, I am happy."

Diaz lives in Charlton, MA and owns the UPS Store franchises at 482 Southbridge St., Auburn; 210 Park Ave., Worcester; and 800 Main St., Holden. They are collecting new and "gently used" shoes at these and other locations.

"So many people have been affected by the recession. So many people are in need. Shoes can make a huge difference in their lives," Diaz said.

St. Joseph's Church of Auburn also heeded his call for help, as well as a volunteer group from Auburn High School and the Boy Scout Troop 101. After less than two months of collecting shoes, Diaz has more than 2,500 pairs of shoes, all boxed and stored along the walls of the UPS Store in Auburn.

"They will go all over the United States and all over the world," he said. "We can keep the feet of 100,000 people with something on them, making them feel better."

Whole Earth Provision Kicks off Shoe Drive

It's a perfect tri-fecta of cleaning out your closet, getting a discount, and helping out those less fortunate.

Whole Earth Provision, an outdoor store with 4 locations in Texas is holding a shoe drive to benefit Soles4Souls. From now until May 2, all customers who bring in a pair of gently worn shoes to donate toward the effort will receive $10 off a purchase of Clarks, Privo, or Indigo brand footwear. For store locations, click here.

About Whole Earth Provision
Over the course of thirty-eight years and the openings of six additional stores across Texas, Whole Earth Provision Company has grown to include extensive shoe and clothing departments for casual and active wear, gear to equip almost any outdoor need, accessories like Swiss Army knives, sunglasses and compasses. For more information visit http://www.wholeearthprovision.com

Timberland and Soles4Souls Launch Shoe Donation Program

Timberland announced a new consumer promotion with long-time partner Soles4Souls to help provide free footwear to those in need, both in the United States and around the world.

Beginning on April 23, customers will be invited to drop off any pair of gently worn shoes at 68 Timberland retail locations around the U.S. in exchange for a 10% discount off of a new pair of Timberland footwear. All brands of men's, women's and children's footwear will be accepted for donation.

"We are proud to have donated more than 75,000 pairs of Timberland footwear to Soles4Souls over the past three years," said John Trott, vice-president of consumer direct for Timberland North America. "This new, expanded in-store program gives our customers the opportunity to join in and provide footwear - a basic, but essential, amenity that many of us take for granted - to those in need around the world."

The new footwear donation program will be promoted through online banners, in-store merchandising and public relations efforts. Timberland's partnership with Soles4Souls is part of its ongoing commitment to service, community and sustainability initiatives.

Over the past 16 years, Timberland employees around the world have used more than 500,000 hours of Path of Service program time to engage in community-building activities such as Serv-a-palooza and Earth Day initiatives.

To learn more about Timberland or to find a store near you, please visit www.timberland.com. To learn more about becoming an Earthkeeper, visit www.earthkeeper.com.

Camp Barefoot Partners with Soles4Souls

Camp Barefoot Music Festival, a grassroots, family style music and art event, will take place August 13-15, 2009 at the scenic Cove Campground in Gore, Virginia.

Heybro Productions, LLC, continues to produce a grassroots festival supporting the regional and local music scene up and down the eastern seaboard. Camp Barefoot 3 will see Heybro expand their focus to bringing in an array of national talents as well. Numerous bands on multiple stages, with no overlapping national acts, the three day Camp Barefoot event promises to deliver an intimate musical experience.

This year Camp Barefoot will not only bring great music to the discerning festival goer but will also partner with Soles4Souls to collect donations of new and gently used shoes for those in need or those affected by natural disasters.

Tickets are limited to a max capacity of 2,300 people. Advance ticket prices are: 2-day tickets are $75 w/ camping included, 3 day tickets are $100 w/ camping included. There are also 75 VIP passes available for $175 w/ camping included. Camp Barefoot 3 will also encompass a variety of vendors providing food and arts and crafts.

The lineup includes…2 nights of Lotus (one night will be late night)

Perpetual Groove

Toubab Krewe

John Brown’s Body

Hackensaw Boys

The Breakfast (2 nights)

U-Melt

The Bridge

Jazzam (2 nights)

The Boogie Hustlers

Midnight Spaghetti & the Chocolate G Strings

Modern Groove Syndicate

Existor

Basshound

Segway

And more

For more festival information check out http://www.campbarefoot.org/

Central Baptist Sponsors Shoe Collection

Central Baptist Church in Anderson, KY is sponsoring a Soles4Souls shoe collection for the second consecutive year. Any and all types and sizes of shoes are needed.

The breezeway at the church will be open 24 hours a day, seven days a week for drop-offs until May 15. The church is located on Bypass North near the Anderson-Franklin county line across the road from the cell phone tower.

Track and Field Team Collecting Shoes

The Geneva High School girls track and field team in Chicago, IL is hosting a shoe drive to benefit Soles4Souls. The shoe drive will run for about month, beginning Monday April 13, and ending Friday, May 8. Area residents were invited to recycle their "gently worn" shoes for people in need.

Throughout the shoe drive the girls track team will be hosting two home meets, last Saturday, and May 8. There will be drop off boxes for the shoes at Burgess Field on those two days. Otherwise, shoes can be dropped off in the bins in the high schools gymnasiums during normal school hours.

Pay it Forward Fest set for Saturday

Hayrides, games, karaoke and a guest appearance from Tennessee Titans mascot T-RAC will highlight the second annual Pay it Forward Festival in downtown Nashville this Saturday.

The event is from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. at the Tennessee Children's Home on Main Street and benefits six charities: Curesearch (childhood cancer research), Soles4Souls, the Tennessee Children's Home, the Multiple Sclerosis Society, Teen Challenge and the future Arborvitae Home in Spring Hill.

Admission is a canned food item or a pair of new or gently used shoes. Money will be raised through donations, sponsors, nominal ticket prices for games and a silent auction with items and services donated by area businesses.

"All this is being done just by using the resources we have in the community," said event organizer Darrell Digby.

All money raised and donated items will go to support the charities and a few local families that have recently been through tragedy.

Last year's event raised $3,300 and collected 750 pairs of shoes, Digby said. This year, volunteers hope to raise $30,000 and collect 3,000 pairs of shoes. Digby hopes that's possible since the first year was planned in just five weeks.

"This year our goals are much higher because we've had a whole year to plan for it," he said.

Digby said he is working with Soles4Souls to help distribute the shoes as well as to deliver money raised to the other charities.

Julie Stauss, operations manager for the Nashville office of Soles4Souls, said the organization plans to have a vehicle at the Tennessee Children's Homes a few days before the festival for shoe donations.

"Darrell has been a delight to work with," she said. "The hardest thing is getting the word out, and he's helped us get so many (collection) boxes out in the community. I think he's already got a half a garage full of shoes collected."

Stauss said they are happy to work with Digby until he secures nonprofit status for future events and applauded the festival's concept, which she said fits Souls4Souls' mission.

"Financially, it may be hard to give cash right now, but everybody has shoes they can donate," she said.

Digby, who has lived in Spring Hill since 2001, said the movie Pay it Forward inspired him to plan last year's event with friends.

"I don't have a whole lot of money to change somebody's life, but I can do something," he said. "I woke up in the middle of the night, and this idea was in my head and I could not get it out. That's it. I just want this to be successful and really take off."

For more information, e-mail digby@realtracs.com or visit http://www.payitforwardfestival.org/.

5th Grader Helps Bring in 800 Pairs

Anna Dailey is following in her sister's footsteps, so to speak.

Two years ago, when Julia Dailey was in fifth grade she organized a shoe drive at Hampton Cove Elementary School in Huntsville, AL for Soles4Souls. Julia collected dozens of pairs of shoes, and Anna, who is now in the same fifth-grade gifted program at Hampton Cove her older sister was in, decided she wanted to organize her own drive.

"I remember her coming home every day and telling us how many shoes had been donated," Anna said.

Anna and her friend, Audrey Corbett, had just done a count of about 300 pairs of shoes donated at the school. The Fleet Feet shoe store also contributed another 500 pairs to Anna's drive, bringing the total to about 800 pairs of shoes. The shoes ranged from worn athletic shoes to barely worn dressy sandals.

"My teacher brought in high heels," said Anna about her homeroom teacher Nancy Bass.

To get the project started, Anna first had to write a letter to her principal, Dr. Fillis McGhee, asking for permission. She then contacted Soles4Souls to get collection boxes and a banner to announce the drive. She wrote a note to go out in the folders that go home with the school's 1,000 students every Wednesday, and appeared on the school daily news broadcast twice to ask for donations.

"I honestly helped zero," said Sonia Parker, Anna's teacher. "I would just say 'Think about what you want to do this week'."

While Anna does get class credit for her project, she just wanted to do it, regardless of the recognition.

"If we need a new pair of shoes, we get a new pair of shoes," she said. "It's not the same for everybody. The shoe drive was a way of giving back, which everyone should try to do."

"It just feels good," she said.

Shoe Drive A Big Success at Middle School

Manor Middle School students in Lancaster, PA have proven they know how to get a job done.

In less than two weeks, the students managed to collect 1,319 pairs of shoes for Soles4Souls. Peer Helpers organized the event, which kicked off March 30 and ended last Wednesday.

"Our goal was 500 pairs," noted Zac Bauermaster, teacher and program coordinator. "The volume of shoes collected was well over twice that number."

The idea for a shoe drive came out of a unit of study on Africa. Bauermaster said his students and those of Deron Gue's seventh- grade geography class learned that some African children work 12- hour days in mines without shoes for foot protection.


"We saw so many pictures of children without shoes," he said. "We really want the students to understand and have empathy towards people in other countries," Bauermaster added.


The Manor Middle School students jumped right in and began gathering shoes.


"It's a good way for everyone to get involved," stated Hannah Breidenbaugh, a Peer Helper. "It's not hard to pitch in and help."


For every pair of shoes donated, the students received a receipt, which they could enter into a drawing. The Inside Track is donating prizes. And the group that brought in the most pairs will get to help shave Gue's head.

Center Stage Children's Theatre Company in Philadelphia Partners with Soles4Souls

Philadelphia was recently voted the 4th best "walking city" in the U.S., and Center Stage Children's Theatre Company is celebrating the honor by partnering with shoe charity Soles4Souls.  From April 20 until May 11, Philadelphians are asked to donate their shoes at the Arts Academy at Benjamin Rush High School, at 11081 Knights Road (map this school).  The phone number is (215) 281-2603.

All collected shoes will be donated to needy Americans across the country.

In addition to their charitable efforts with Soles4Souls, the Center Stage Children's Theatre Company will be performing FOOTLOOSE, the musical, on May 29, 30 and 31 at the high school.  Ticket information is available on the school's website, which can be found here.

Student-Athletes to Collect Shoes

Eastern Kentucky University student-athletes have partnered with Soles4Souls to collect gently worn footwear and/or donations to ship the shoes to a person in need. Donations will be accepted between April 16 and April 30. Shoes can be dropped off Monday through Friday from 8 a.m. to 10 pm.in the Bratzke Center in Alumni Coliseum.

Chaska Students Offer Hope Through Shoes

Chaska High School students in Chaska, MN are helping the needy by partnering with Soles4Souls. Like many other schools and organizations, Chaska High School often utilizes fundraising programs to generate critical revenue for its operations and goals.

Students will collecting donations from family and friends for the purchase of new $5 flip-flops or $10 clogs that will be sent to a person in need. Through the Soles4Souls program, the school receives 40% of the proceeds, along with unique incentives for students and the programs they are representing.

Shoes & Champagne Raises A Glass For Soles4Souls

As seen in WSA Today

Shoes from 65 footwear designers including Irregular Choice, Be & D, Donald J Pliner and Casadei will be on display at the International Shoes & Champagne gala on May 8. The new event will coincide with Ottawa’s Canadian Tulip Festival.

“I love shoes, and I thought it would be a great idea to have all these shoes under one roof, displayed as art,” says event manager Caroline Ouimet. “I called designers, and the response was overwhelming.”

During the Friday evening gala, guests will also be invited to bid on footwear via auction. The two day showcase will also raise funds for Soles4Souls through the auction as well as donations to a Shoe Mountain.

“The Shoe Mountain starts May 1 and runs throughout the Tulip Festival,” says Ouimet. “People can add a pair of their used shoes to the Shoe Mountain or buy a pair of flip-flops which will benefit someone in need of shoes. We wanted to do something socially purposeful."

Special guests Beth Harbison, author of Shoe Addicts Anonymous and Secrets of a Shoe Addict, will also have a book signing when the event opens to the public on May 9.

“In the gloomy time we’re seeing, it’s very satisfying to do something that’s looking upwards, outwards and doing good,” says Ouiment. To find out more, visit http://www.shoesandchampagne.ca/.

Mack Moore Shoe Drive

Starting last week and running through Saturday, April 11, Mack Moore Shoes in Charleston, IL will be the site for area residents to drop off their gently worn shoes for Soles4Souls.

Mack Moore Shoes, 305 W. Lincoln Ave in Charleston, will join with Soles4Souls to become a participating location to collect donations for people in need. Residents may drop off monetary donations or gently worn footwear to be sent to people in need, whether they are victims of a natural disaster or subject to living in extreme poverty.

Nebraska City Shoe Store Hosts Shoe Drive for Soles4Souls

[from the Nebraska City News Press]

Brown's Shoe Fit, 811 Central Ave., is hosting a shoe drive to help needy people around the world.  The Nebraska City store is one of 51 Brown's Shoe Fit locations to benefit Soles4Souls Inc., an international footwear charity.

During the shoe drive, Brown's Shoe Fit will offer $10 off a purchase of Clarks Companies shoes to all customers who bring in gently worn pairs of shoes toward the effort.

The shoe drive is scheduled April 10-20.

Nashville-based Soles4Souls has distributed more than 4.3 million pairs to people in over 125 countries, including Honduras, Uganda, Romania, and the United States.

Making a Difference Two Shoes at a Time

Dee Gordon (pictured) of Gainesville, VA said it’s the small things we take for granted that can make all the difference in the world to others.

“We don’t know how good we have it until something is taken away from us,”said Gordon, whose family immigrated to the United States from Laos in 1980.

So Gordon brought a couple of plastic shopping bags full of shoes to Sudley Manor Square in Manassas, VA to donate to Soles4Souls.

“Sometimes the little things that we take for granted, other people don’t have,” Gordon said.

Allan Clark, a Soles4Souls volunteer, is driving with his wife, Silvana, across the United States in a recreational vehicle to collect shoes for those who need them.

Silvana Clark said she’s getting more than shoes out of the trip she and her husband decided to take after their daughter left for college.

“We get to meet wonderful people,” said Silvana Clark, of Seattle. “We get to see people coming in and donating shoes and we get to travel the country.”

The Clarks, who worked for Soles4Souls in Seattle, will be touring for a year to collect the shoes, box them up and ship them off for rehabilitation, Allan Clark said.

“They get refurbished in our warehouses down in Alabama or in Las Vegas and shipped around the world,” he said.

Shirley Davis, who lives in the Sudley area, said she was glad to find some use for the shoes she can’t wear anymore.

“I’m handicapped and I can’t wear heels anymore. I was going to throw them in the trash,” Davis said.

It was a little party in the parking lot which included free pizza from Papa Johns and an appearance from Ronald McDonald. People applauded when someone came in with shoes, like when Alex Bumpers brought in some dress shoes that looked new.

“I don’t waste. Those are just some shoes that didn’t fit quite right,” Bumpers said. “I think that this is obviously a great cause.”

Arizona Fire Stations Collecting Shoes

Scottsdale Fire Department in partnership with the Scottsdale Firefighters Association Local 3878, are collecting new and gently used footwear to benefit Soles4Souls.


Community members are encouraged to drop off ‘gently worn’ shoes and/or boots at one of Scottsdale’s 14 fire stations or the Witzeman Public Safety Building (8401 E. Indian School Road, Scottsdale). Each location will be an ongoing drop location.

Scottsdale Fire Stations are staffed 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. However, we encourage you to try to stop by between the hours of 8 a.m. and 5 p.m. Upon arrival, please ring the door bell or knock on the station door to alert the firefighters you are there to make a donation. If there is no answer, crews may be responding to an emergency call. To locate the nearest fire station, visit http://www.scottsdalefd.com/.



Captain Sasha Weller and members of Scottsdale Fire Department are excited about this new program.


“It’s a great time for spring cleaning” stated Weller. “The simple act of dropping off shoes taking up space in your closet will greatly improve someone’s life in the most difficult of times” he added.

Fleet Feet Sports Announces Shoe Drive

The people that truly make Soles4Souls effective are those who clean out their closets to personally drop off their gently worn shoes at a participating location, such as Fleet Feet Sports in Raleigh, NC.

Soles4Souls and Fleet Feet Sports Raleigh will be collecting your gently worn footwear and/or donations to ship the shoes to people in need, whether they are victims of a natural disaster or subject to living in extreme poverty.

The shoe donation program features an official kick-off at Fleet Feet's Spring has Sprung free fun run and walk on Saturday, April 4th.

About Fleet Feet Sports

Fleet Feet Sports Raleigh is a locally-owned running store featuring a welcoming environment where runners, walkers and fitness enthusiasts of all abilities receive unparalleled service and support. The knowledgeable team takes the time to get to know you and your specific needs in order to guide you to the products that are the right FIT for you, whether it is footwear, athletic clothing, sports bras or fitness accessories. For more information, call (919) 832-8275 or visit www.fleetfeetraleigh.com.

Letter from the Kansas City Rescue Mission

This is a letter we recently received from Julie Larocco, the development officer for the Kansas City Rescue Mission.


Dear Soles4Souls,

I can't begin to tell you how wonderful it was to experience the work of Soles4Souls firsthand here at the Kansas City Rescue Mission last Wednesday. Our case managers gave out 90 vouchers for free shoes and socks from 2:30 - 4:00 p.m. The crew hugged, encouraged and fitted men with shoes as though they'd been doing it all their lives.

A young crack addict who can barely function anymore is seated on a bench outside my office. He rocks back and forth humming. His feet are warm and dry.

An elderly man traded his incredibly taped and tattered sandals and filthy socks for brand new socks and shoes. As I drove into our parking lot last Thursday, I saw him asleep on a wall despite the cold. His feet were warm and dry.

Men in our Christian Community of Recovery now have the shoes they need to head to work sites, job interviews and legal appointments. They are proud of their new shoes; many have saved the boxes and store them carefully each night. On man laughed, "Now I can run fast and jump high!" Another said, "These are the first shoes I've had since I came here that actually fit."

Thanks you so much for the honor of receiving this gift. We appreciate your efforts and those of Adam Gregory and his crew. God bless you all in your ministry.

Reaching Up,
Julie Larocco
Development Officer

Mary Baldwin College to Conduct Shoe Drive

Mary Baldwin college in Staunton, VA is conducting a shoe drive as part of a Haitian festival on the lower campus from 5 to 9 p.m. on April 3.

People who attend the festivities are asked to bring their own "gently worn" shoes to donate to Soles4Souls. All shoes collected will go directly to helping someone in need, whether they live around the block or across an ocean.

Soles4Souls is touring North America in a custom-wrapped RV through February, 2010 in order to increase public participation in its many programs. The Soles4Souls RV Tour includes stops in thousands of cities, including Staunton, for festivals and events such as this.

"We want to invite all people from Staunton, and the surrounding community, to clean out their closets and support the work of Soles4Souls," said Wayne Elsey, founder and CEO of the shoe charity. "It's awesome to see such high level of participation in our various events, and we want to thank our caring partners at Mary Baldwin College who are giving their community a chance to come together for a simple yet important cause," he said.

“We are excited about the opportunity to partner with Soles4Souls and look forward to radio station 93.7 joining us for our event,” said MBC sophomore Melissa Elsey. “Free pedicures and massages, a water balloon dodge ball game, piñatas, and a Haitian food theme have all been planned. The event is hosted by a number of campus clubs and organizations, but we want to invite everyone in the Mary Baldwin College community. We have chosen Haiti to receive the donations of shoes collected.”

The gift of shoes does more than lift the spirits of those in desperate need. It also reduces the risk of puncture wounds, scrapes and burns to the feet, and stops hookworm infections. Also, by donating shoes to needy people, Staunton residents can greatly reduce the number of perfectly good shoes being wasted in their local landfills.

Shoe Sale supports Seton's Missions

Seton High School students in Cincinnati, OH have chucked the old bake sale, car wash and bagging groceries model to do some good while raising money to do even more good.

Now through April 8, students at the 540-student all-girls Catholic high school are selling clogs and flip-flops for Soles4Souls.

The cost of the shoes - $10 for clogs and $5 for flip-flops - will also benefit mission trips to Appalachia, New Orleans, Guatemala and Honduras the school has planned for the coming summer. Forty percent of proceeds will be returned to the school for that purpose.

"Yes, it helps us out. But the broader picture is it helps globally beyond Price Hill," said Sister Sandy Howe, community service coordinator at Seton High.

Carly Hartman of Delhi Township has been on two mission trips to Appalachia. She will make her third trip there this summer and said she has admired how families come together in times of hardship.

"These are people who have a lot less than we have, materially, but they have more, spiritually, than we do," Hartman said.

Shoes bought through the fundraiser will be donated to the poor in Uganda in honor of Violet, a young Ugandan woman Seton High School has supported since 2002. The school pays for the woman's educational and personal needs.

To give to Seton High School's Soles4Souls fundraiser, visit www.setoncincinnati.org

Soles4Souls at the FOX Gives Philanthropy Fair

Cristina Nardozzi, a spokesperson for Soles4Souls, recently attended the FOX Gives Philanthropy Fair Thursday, March 19th in Los Angeles. It was FOX Network's 1st annual fair and over 2,500 FOX employees attended the event.

Cristina was on hand to educate those about the Soles4Souls' mission of changing the world one pair at a time.

"The event was a grand success," said Cristina. "I signed nearly 100 volunteers for our next event on June 4th with the LA Midnight Mission. Thank you to FOX for putting on a wonderful event. I look forward to working with FOX Gives in the future," she said.

Pennsylvania Man Going the Distance to Help Others

Michael Casper, of State College, PA has turned his passion for running into a means of helping local runners test their limits while helping those in need.

Casper, a member of the Nittany Valley Running Club, is the co-founder and director of the annual Tussey Mountainback 50 Mile Relay and Ultramarathon, to be held this year on Oct. 3 at Rothrock State Forest in Huntingdon. The proceeds from this year’s races will benefit Centre Volunteers in Medicine, a local nonprofit clinic whose mission is to serve the health care needs of uninsured Centre County residents.

Casper also partners with Soles4Souls, collecting shoes at all the races he directs. Shoes will be collected at the Mountainback Relay, the Tussey Teasers in the spring and the Discovery Run series in August.

For more information on these races, visit http://www.tusseymountainback.com/.

Shoes for Needy Collected by 10-year-old

A 10-year-old is encouraging others in Jackson, Mississippi to give.

Gabrielle Ambeau held a shoe drive Saturday at New Jerusalem gym on Old Canton Road for Soles4Souls.

Many people stopped by to donate their gently-used shoes for those in need.

Ambeau said she got the idea for the drive after searching the internet with her mom. She was just looking for a way she could get involved in the community and give back to those in need.

"I want to help get people to be able to feel confident about themselves and to have some shoes to wear instead of walking around barefoot all the time and to get back on their feet," Ambeau said.


Ambeau hopes to donate the shoes to people in New Orleans or Africa.

Store Owner Staying Busy in the Community

Starting a business is a busy time for anyone, but Kelly Ellis of Lyndon, Washington has been able to do that while also getting very involved in the community.

Ellis started Sole Obsession Footwear at 105 3rd St. in Lynden almost five months ago, selling shoes for men, women and children. Along the way she's found time to get herself elected vice president of the Lynden Downtown Business Association, become involved in the upcoming Relay for Life in Lynden that benefits the American Cancer Society and work with Soles4Souls by collecting gently worn shoes.

"One thing I've learned about becoming a business owner is there are so many causes to support," Ellis said.

She said the 1,000-square-foot store is focused on service, including a children's play area and one-on-one interaction, such as shoe fitting. Sole Obsession is also a drop-off point for Soles4Souls. Customers can donate their gently worn or new shoes in the big blue and white boxes. Those shoes will be cleaned, bound and distributed to those need in the U.S. and abroad.

The store is open Monday through Saturday from 10 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. For more details about the store, call (360) 392-8659.

Students Pitch in Donated Shoes to 'Bury the Bug'

Their goal was to "Bury the Bug."

Mission accomplished.

Evansville Christian School students in Evansville, IN circled a convertible Volkswagen Beetle on Friday morning, filling the car with donated shoes. When they finished, the Beetle overflowed with shoes of all types.

The shoes will be shipped worldwide and distributed to children without footwear. The shoe drive, hosted by Soles4Souls, came to Evansville as part of the charity's "North American RV Tour."

The RV and Beetle was parked at The Evansville Centre for another collection during the St. Patrick's Day Run of Luck.

Parent Donna Logan helped coordinate the collection for Evansville Christian School. Her children, Brooks, 13, and Tanner, 9, collected more than 300 shoes by knocking on doors in their East Side neighborhood.

"And it really wasn't very hard," Logan said.

Logan said the shoe drive gives students a visual example of how their volunteer work can help other people.

"I just wish I could take them on a mission trip to the countries where the shoes are going," she said.

The Beetle was provided by Shoe Carnival, a corporate sponsor.

"We like to take part in any local community event by Soles4Souls," said Shoe Carnival spokeswoman Stacy Carr. "I think shoes are an everyday staple that so many people take for granted."

The RV tour is scheduled to last a year and visit cities across the country, said Sondra Clark, a spokeswoman for Soles4Souls, who is traveling on the tour.

Paul Bair, executive director of Evansville Christian School, said students from both east and west campuses participated in the shoe drive. Combined, the two campuses have about 640 students.

Bair said one of his kindergarten students collected 60 pairs of shoes.

Sneakers To Boots Hosting Shoe Drive

Sneakers To Boots in Pine Bush, NY is hosting a shoe drive to benefit Soles4Souls.

During the shoe drive, Sneakers to Boots will be offering a 10 percent discount to all customers who bring in gently worn pairs of shoes toward the effort. The shoe drive will began Sunday, March 15th and will last until the end of the month.

Sneakers To Boots is located at 90 Main St. in Pine Bush. For more information, visit www.sneakerstoboots.com.

Soles4Souls Helps Project PINSTRIPE Outfit Disadvantaged Youth

Project PINSTRIPE, a not-for-profit organization devoted to building a positive self-image for disadvantaged young adults by providing properly-fitted business attire and career education, hosted its fourth annual one-day event last Saturday, March 14. The event expanded to Atlanta, Charlotte and Nashville, adding to existing events in New York, Boston, Chicago, Detroit and Miami.

Since its founding in New York in 2005, Project PINSTRIPE has grown from 50 participants in New York to 450 participants nationally with annual events in eight cities around the country. The organization outfits underprivileged high school and college-aged men with lightly-used designer suits donated by generous business professionals.

Participants were also given all the necessary accessories to complete their tailored look, including dress shoes donated by Soles4Souls.

"Project PINSTRIPE has given me so many great opportunities. Being young, it's often hard to be taken seriously in a corporate setting. The suits I've been given help me project confidence and give me a much better self-image," said Daniel Meighan, a Prep for Prep and Project PINSTRIPE participant. "I know that I have the skills and know-how to succeed, and Project PINSTRIPE helps to display my qualities in the clothes that I wear."

Nation's Leading Flip Flop Retailer Partners with Toe-rrific Charity

Flip Flop Shops Joins Mission to Provide Footwear to Those in Need; Selects Soles4Souls as National Charity

Nashville, TN – As the nation's first retail chain exclusive to flip flops and sandals, Flip Flop Shops is riding high on the soaring, cult-like popularity of flips flops and the "Free-Your-Toes" movement it is promoting from coast to coast. But for Flip Flop Shops CEO Darin Kraetsch and President Brian Curin, they have found another mission they are equally passionate about -- helping to provide footwear for the millions of shoeless and footsore individuals worldwide.

To this effect, Flip Flops Shops has just announced a partnership with Soles4Souls, an international charity that has distributed more than 4 million donated pairs of new and gently used shoes to people in over 70 countries.

"Partnering with Soles4Souls was natural for us," said Curin (size 10). "Soles4Souls reflects fundamental aspects of the Flip Flop Shops brand and culture. This decision was more than an act of corporate philanthropy; this was the alignment of two organizations that are passionate about helping those in need by providing footwear and the independence, confidence and support associated with a pair of shoes."

Flip Flop Shops has launched a broad scale campaign to bring the partnership to fruition at existing and soon-to-open Flip Flop Shops locations throughout North America. With three shops in operation and 20 shops under development, Flip Flop Shops will promote it's "Free Your Toes...Bring Your Soles" events by hosting shoe drives at each Grand Opening and will offer discounts to customers that donate to Soles4Souls. Flip Flop Shops anticipates collecting 10,000 pairs of shoes in 2009 for donation to Soles4Souls.

"Our partnership with Soles4Souls is another example of Doing The Right Thing," said Kraetsch (size 10). "Doing The Right Thing is the driving force behind our culture and overall philosophy and we are proud to support such a great cause."

To fully integrate Flip Flop Shops consumers with the Soles4Souls mission, the Soles4Souls RV Tour will stop at Flip Flop Shops locations throughout the country, spreading its excitement and goodwill to local towns. Flip Flop Shops currently has locations operating in Arizona and California, and will soon open additional franchised shops in Nevada, Idaho, Utah, Texas, Florida, Tennessee, North Carolina, New Jersey, Delaware, and Ohio; as well as forays into Vancouver, British Columbia and Guam.

Selling such popular brands as Reef, havaianas, Sanuk, Hurley and OluKai, Flip Flop Shops plans to reach 236 shops across North America within the next five years.

About Flip Flop Shops
Founded in September 2004, Flip Flop Shops is the nation's first retail chain exclusive to flip flops and sandals. The company began franchising in January 2008. Flip Flop Shops is an Environmentally Responsible Retailer and encourages the nation to free their toes. The executive team boasts more than 50 years of franchise experience building and growing some of the world's fastest-growing franchise concepts, category leaders and some of America's most well-known brands, including Cold Stone Creamery, Moe's Southwest Grill and Nike. With three locations currently operating and 20 in development, the company plans to franchise 236 shops by 2013. For more franchise opportunity information, visit www.flipflopshops.com.

SHHS Sponsors Drive to Benefit Soles4Souls

Spring Hill High School in Spring Hill, TN announced a shoe drive to benefit Soles4Souls March 9-13. Students, faculty, Columbia and Spring Hill residents are invited to recycle their “gently worn” shoes for people in need.

Spring Hill High School will also be accepting donations to help ship the shoes to people in need, whether they are victims of a natural disaster or subject to living in extreme poverty. The charity can use each and every one of these pairs to make a tangible difference in someone's life.

“We can use the shoes taking up space in your closet to change the world one pair at a time,” said Wayne Elsey, Soles4Soles CEO and founder. “We need our partners in Spring Hill High School 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 the most difficult of times,” he said.

Store's Help is a Step in the Right Direction

A Marlton, NJ shoe store has joined with Soles4Souls to collect gently worn shoes for the poor in parts of the U.S. and overseas. Fleet Feet Sports, on Route 73 South, has collected about 200 pairs of shoes in the month since it became a drop-off location for Soles4Souls.

"It's been wildly successful," said Paul Flaherty, the store's general manager. "The response has already been much greater than we would've ever anticipated."

Many donors at the Marlton store are regular customers, Flaherty said, but anyone can walk in and donate their shoes.

"Many of our clients bring their old shoes in with them when they come in to buy new ones, and it's just a natural thing for them to just put them in the receptacle before they leave," Flaherty said.

All types, brands and sizes are needed, Flaherty said, including sneakers, high heels, men's dress shoes, slippers, even moccasins, can be used, Flaherty said.

"This isn't about the shoe's performance," he said. "We're sending to Third World countries in some cases, where children are going without any shoes at all."

Once the shoes go through the reconditioning process, they're sent to third-party organizations, like the American Red Cross, that distribute them to the needy. About 95 percent of the shoes donated are in good enough condition to refurbish and distribute and the other 5 percent are ground up and recycled into playground surfacing material.

Flaherty's store joined the effort in early February at the prompting of store employees and customers.

"Our hope is that this is only going to grow," he added.

Ecor Rouge DAR names 'Good Citizens'

Ecor Rouge DAR (Daughters of the American Revolution) has recognized four Baldwin County, Alabama high school seniors as DAR Good Citizens.

Elizabeth Ann Moore McDonald earned her recognition by participating in a Soles4Souls shoe drive, as well as volunteering her time to a number of other community minded organizations.

Criteria for receiving recognition as a DAR Good Citizen includes service, consideration of others, leadership, interest in family, school and community.

Got Gently Worn Shoes?

Letting someone "walk a mile or two in your shoes" comes with an incentive this weekend. The Runner shoe store in Arlington, TX is offering to take gently worn shoes from its customers this weekend and distribute them to people living in poverty or whose lives have been disrupted by a natural disaster.

In return for donating footwear to Soles4Souls, customers will get a 20 percent discount at the store! The Runner Shop is located at 3535 W. Pioneer Parkway.

Nazareth Academy Shoe Drive will be held until April 8

Nazareth Academy's senior board in La Grange Park, IL is hosting a shoe drive for Soles4Souls through April 8.

Senior class members will organize the school in collecting gently used shoes which will then be shipped to Soles4Souls. Local residents of the community are invited to recycle shoes and drop them off before April 8 at the school office, 1209 W. Ogden Ave., La Grange Park.

An out-of-uniform day will be held April 2 where the student body can purchase a $2 pass or donate shoes.

Georgia Stores Collecting Footwear for Needy

Macon-based Run Fit Sports stores in Macon and Warner Robins would like people to recycle their gently worn shoes for others in need. Saturday, the stores will collect used shoes and donate them to Soles4Souls.

"We can use the shoes taking up space in your closet to change the world one pair at a time," said Soles4Souls founder Wayne Elsey. "We need our partners in Middle Georgia 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 someones life in the most difficult of times."

The stores are located at 4524 Forsyth Road in Macon and at 4025 Watson Blvd. in Warner Robins.

In exchange for a donation, Run Fit Sports will give a trade-in discount of 10 percent off on a pair of new shoes.

People who may not have any shoes to donate may make a monetary donation instead.

Hillsborough Street Renaissance Festival (Raleigh NC) Gears Up for Spring

[from indyweek.com, written by Kelly Behling]

With construction set to begin on Raleigh's Hillsborough Street in May, many people will be avoiding the work zone for the next two years. Before it begins, a green celebration has been planned, right in time for spring.

On Saturday, March 14, the Hillsborough Street Renaissance Festival will shut the road to traffic between Gardner Street and Enterprise Street to make way for booths, music and food. The festival, which begins at noon, will feature cooking competitions with local food, a fashion show featuring recycled materials, and exhibits showcasing alternative fuels and cars with environmentally friendly technology. The Kid Zone will even feature solar-powered race cars, among other activities designed to keep little ones entertained.

The event was conceived as a way to help tie together three facets of the community surrounding N.C. State: businesses, families and students.

"The goal is to revitalize Hillsborough Street," said Amy Callahan, a spokeswoman for the festival. "We want to make it a place where people want to go to hang out again and enjoy Raleigh together. There's a dividing line between the campus and the community that runs along Hillsborough Street. We hope by revitalizing the street there will no longer be that line."

Food will provide one catalyst for unity. NCSU fraternities will face off against Hillsborough Street restaurants cooking their famous barbecue, with the green theme highlighted by a solar-powered pig cooker. More than 20 types of barbecue will be available for sampling, as well as a variety of pies provided by NCSU sororities. Festival-goers can enter a raffle to become a judge of the Iron Chef-style cooking competition between two local chefs.

Proceeds from the sale of raffle tickets, auction items, food, drinks and memorabilia will go to three charities: Engineers Without Borders, MorLove and Soles4Souls, which all provide recycled materials or renewable energy to those in need.

Tickets can be purchased online or at the festival. For more information, see hsren.org.

Altrusa International of Branch County works with Soles4Souls to Meet Needs of Children

[excerpted from The Daily Reporter, Coldwater Michigan]

photo and story by Roland Stoy

There are so many needs for so many people in Branch County, Michigan.

Important among those needs are shoes and boots for children, and Altrusa International of Branch County, an organization of executive and professional women, has made this area one of their activities in community service.

"The need is huge," said Connie Winbigler of Altrusa. "There are a lot of children who don't have proper shoes or boots, and this can become a health issue."

Thanks to their affiliation with Soles4Souls, an international organization dedicated to providing footwear for those in need, Altrusa has an inventory of shoes and boots stored in the basement of Hauska Home and Farm on Chicago Street in downtown Coldwater.

Monday, Winbigler, along with Sara Roper of Hauska and Sue Crabtree, stocked an additional 114 pair of shoes and boots, and were gratified to fit a couple of young clients with new footwear.

Winbigler said they have been spreading the word to service clubs and organizations regarding the availability, but primarily teachers from pre-school to grades three and four are on the watch for those children in need and have forms by which the footwear is procured.

Stanwood (WA) Woman Gathers Good Soles for Poor Souls

[By Gale Fiege, Writer for The Daily Herald, Everett Washington]

STANWOOD -- As a young woman, Susanna "Z" Mantis had a corporate consulting career. She wore black Armani suits with colorful high heels that matched her ever-changing fingernail polish.

"I had at least 60 pairs of shoes, all carefully kept in their boxes," Mantis said. "I could have been another Imelda Marcos."


Fortunately, Mantis is not Marcos, who, as the wife of Philippine dictator Ferdinand Marcos, was infamous for her extensive shoe collection. Instead Mantis, now a 55-year-old Stanwood businesswoman, is collecting shoes for an organization called Soles4Souls, which distributes shoes in the United States and abroad to those who have nothing on their feet.

"There are 30 million people worldwide without shoes and most of them are kids," Mantis said.

As soon as she had registered online to run a shoe drive for the nonprofit group, Mantis got a donation of six pairs from an Oak Harbor family. This surprised Mantis, who quickly realized she had hit on something people could do to help others.

"Everybody's got a nice pair of shoes in the closet that isn't being worn," she said. "And people evidently need something positive to do in these last weeks of winter."

Mantis decided to declare February as Global Shoe Month in Stanwood and set a goal to collect 1,000 pairs of shoes.

With the help of her artist husband, R. Allen Jensen, she erected a shoe-drive thermometer outside her shop, Z's All Things Good in downtown Stanwood. They decorated the entrance to the shop with lots of old footwear -- saddle shoes, cowboy boots and patent-leather flats -- in walking positions and headed to the donation box on the shop's porch.

Mantis soon began receiving donations of 20 to 50 pairs of shoes a day.

"It was unbelievable. What a trip. We had little old ladies bringing in two at a time. Men in wheelchairs carried shoes in their teeth," she said. "Then there was a group of siblings who didn't believe their mom when she told them there are children without shoes. I showed them some photos and they handed their extra shoes right over."

Stanwood Elementary School teacher Kathy Tredo joined the effort, telling her fifth-graders a story about a brother and sister in India who had to share a pair of shoes. Soon her colleagues and their students all were donating shoes.

"Susanna is doing a great thing. She's caring and passionate, and people have really caught the bug from her," Tredo said.

Mantis, who grew up in a Greek-Italian family, recalls feeling resentful when her father would hire people right out of jail to work in his restaurant and then invite them to Christmas. Those holidays sowed the seeds of caring for others, however, she said. After suffering an injury after running a couple marathons, Mantis took off her high heels and changed her career to focus on caring for people dealing with pain.

For more than 10 years she has produced essential oils as alternative remedies for aches, practiced foot reflexology and taught yoga. Mantis opened Z's a couple years ago and immediately began looking for a big community service project to lead.

As the shoe drive went on during February, boxes and boxes of shoes began taking over the yoga room at the shop. They filled the trunk of Mantis' car and a storage room. She asked the crew at a nearby Starbucks store to take down a donation box she had set up there.

When the number of shoes donated reached 1,200 pairs on Tuesday, Mantis had to limit people to donations of children's shoes or the financial help to get the shoes shipped off to Soles4Souls.

"People have been so generous," Mantis said. "Every day when I come to work and see all the shoes, I am just in tears. How could you not be?"

Gale Fiege: 425-339-3427 or gfiege@heraldnet.com.

Moxie Kids Announces Shoe Drive to Benefit Soles4Souls Inc.

[from the Carolina Newswire]

Moxie Kids announced today that it is hosting a shoe drive to benefit Soles4Souls Inc., the international footwear charity that delivers shoes to needy people around the world. During the shoe drive, Moxie Kids will be offering a 15% discount on Spring/Summer shoes to all customers who bring in gently worn pairs of shoes toward the effort. The shoe drive will begin on March 1, 2009 and will end on March 15, 2009. Moxie Kids is located at 2026 Cameron St. in Cameron Village, Raleigh, NC.

"Many of our customers are interested in recycling as well as charitable giving," said Gina DeFrank, co-owner of Moxie Kids. "This shoe drive gives them a good discount on new shoes that their own growing kids need as well as the opportunity to recycle their shoes from the previous season in support of a great cause," she said.

"We are excited that Moxie Kids is working with us to spread joy to people, both here in the United States and around the world," said Wayne Elsey, Founder and CEO of Soles4Souls. "It is only because of proactive retail stores, such as Moxie Kids, that we are able to accomplish our goal of getting shoes on the feet of people who need them most," he said.

For more information on how you can get involved with this shoe drive and take advantage of the discount toward a new pair of shoes, contact Beth Podlesnik, Manager, (919) 821-3348.

About Moxie Kids

Moxie Kids is a childrens boutique located in Raleigh's Cameron Village and online at www.moxiekidsonline.com. The store specializes in unique clothing and shoes with a modern twist for boys and girls ages 0 to 8. In 2008, Moxie Kids was voted best Children's Store in the Triangle by Citysearch.

Auburn Tigers Students Collecting Shoes for Soles4Souls

[from Morgan Stashick at the Auburn Plainsman]

A campaign by members of SGA to collect shoes for those in need kicked off Tuesday.

The campaign is in connection with Soles4Souls, an organization with one mission: to impact as many lives as possible with the gift of shoes.

Auburns Tiger Tuesdays program ELF, Exploring Leadership for Freshmen, is joining Souls4Souls efforts for the fourth year to receive shoes and give them away in a campus-wide drive.

According to Soles4Souls.org, the organization was founded in 2004.

The organization has donated more than 1 million shoes to victims of the Asian tsunami and Hurricanes Rita and Katrina.

Its goal is to bring the relief of footwear to people who are affected by natural disasters and to other areas in need across the United States and other countries around the world.

Being from Mobile, I have seen firsthand the destruction caused by Katrina and how devastating it was to so many people on the Gulf Coast said Stacie Davis, assistant director of ELF, in an e-mail. Soles4Souls provides brand new shoes to these people, some of them who have lost everything they own.

The first year ELF was involved with Soles4Souls, 300 pairs of shoes were donated to those in need.

Last year donations increased to about 2,000 pairs of shoes.

We ask that people donate $2 along with their shoes to pay for shipping, said Victoria Bennett, director of ELF and a sophomore majoring in microbiology and pre-med. This year our goal is 2,000 pairs of shoes and $2,000.

A distribution center in Roanoke handles where the locally collected shoes are sent.

According to the Soles4Souls Web site, domestic areas in need of donated shoes include the Appalachia Mountains region, summer camps for disadvantaged children, Navajo/Hopi Indian reservations, womens domestic abuse shelters, inner city hospitals and homeless shelters.

Shoes collected by the organization are also distributed to orphanages and villages around the world.

Bennett said chapter visits made by members of ELF and simple word of mouth are spreading the message about the Soles4Souls organization and their shoe drive on the Auburn campus.

We are very excited that ELF is partnering with the Athletic Department during the mens LSU basketball game on March 7, said Landon McKean, ELF graduate adviser. Everyone is encouraged to bring a pair of shoes in support of Soles4Souls in order to be admitted to the game for free.

Bennett said extra spirit points will also be awarded to those in the Greek community who bring a pair of shoes to the basketball game.

Collection bins will be set up in residence halls, Haley Center, the Student Center and other buildings on campus.

Students are asked to drop off shoes from Feb. 24 until March 10.

This organization helps so many people, and I am so excited that we, as Auburn students, can help them help others, Davis said.

Foot Solutions in Raritan, NJ, to Host Shoe Drive

Foot Solutions will host a shoe drive to benefit Soles4Souls Inc., the international footwear charity that delivers shoes to needy people around the world.

During the shoe drive, Foot Solutions will be offering a $15 discount to all customers who bring in gently worn pairs of shoes toward the effort. The shoe drive will end on Saturday, March 21.

Foot Solutions is at the corner of Orlando Drive and Route 206 in the Stop and Shop Mall in Raritan.

For more information on how you can get involved with this shoe drive and take advantage of the discount toward a new pair of shoes, contact George Tay at 908-595-0799 or visit www.footsolutions.com/raritan/.