Calling all shoe collectors (who me?), those shoes you no longer want are desperately needed to help fight global poverty. That’s the message being delivered by Michele James, who has launched a Back to School Shoe Drive to collect 10,000 pairs of shoes to help the poor.
The shoes that Soles4Souls.CO collects will be delivered to Soles4Souls, an international anti-poverty organization that monetizes used shoes and clothing to create sustainable jobs and fund direct relief efforts, including distribution of new shoes and clothing. Founded in 2007, the organization has distributed more than 25 million shoes in more than 100 countries.
“Soles4Souls.CO is supporting Soles4Souls because it is the definition of a social enterprise where solid business practices are used to create positive change in people’s lives,” James said. “Colorado has been a strong supporter of Soles4Souls’ anti-poverty mission, and we hope to take a big step in providing the organization with the used shoes they require to keep making a sustainable difference for people in need.”
Soles4Souls will convert every used pair of shoes collected into a value-added social currency to achieve positive change, both humanitarian and economic. Most of the reusable shoes will be distributed to micro-enterprise programs that create jobs in Haiti and other poor nations. The resulting revenue will help fund the free distribution of new shoes in the U.S. and overseas
“The simple truth is that almost anyone with a closet has shoes they don’t wear, or an old pair that will just end up in a landfill,” James said. “Give those shoes to us, and know that you are taking a step toward making the world a better place for all of us.”
Beginning now, bring shoes to any Colorado location listed at soles4souls.org/locations. Use the zip code locator to find the drop off spot nearest to you.
For more information, contact James at 720-320-1755 or Soles4Souls.CO@gmail.com).
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