Soles4Souls Shoe Drive through Oct. 30
Attention anyone with a closet: Those shoes you no longer want are desperately needed to fight global poverty.
That's the message being delivered by Zack Murphy, who has launched a drive to collect at least 100 shoes to help the poor.
Murphy is a junior at Fremd High School. As a member of the Fremd cross-country team for the past three years, he has seen how important a good pair of shoes can be. He has also observed how many gently used shoes are thrown away instead of being reused by people who are in need.
"There are so many people in this world who do not have shoes, yet this major problem could easily be solved if enough people donated their old shoes," said Murphy.
Used and new shoes can be dropped off in the collection box at the Palatine Community Center Lobby, 250 E. Wood St., Palatine, through Friday, Oct. 30. All types of shoes are acceptable (boots, sandals, athletic wear, or work shoes) as long as they are gently used or new. If you are questionable on whether a shoe is gently used, donate it anyway, it cannot hurt.
The shoes that Zack 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 2006, the organization has distributed more than 26 million pairs of shoes in 127 countries.
The connection between poverty and shoes is well-documented. The World Bank estimates that about 400 million children worldwide - more than the entire U.S. population - live in pronounced poverty. Millions of these children will grow up never having had a pair of shoes, resulting in significant ramifications for their health and well-being. Lacking proper footwear, countless children will not be able or permitted to attend school. And tens of millions of these poverty-stricken, barefoot boys and girls will be infected with soil-transmitted parasitic diseases like hookworm, causing lasting suffering and lifelong debilitation.
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. Donate them and know that you are taking a step to making the world a better place for all of us.
For more information about the shoe drive, go to www.murphyshoedrive2015.weebly.com
Soles4Souls is a not-for-profit global social enterprise committed to fighting the devastating impact and perpetuation of poverty. The organization advances its anti-poverty mission by collecting new and used shoes and clothes from individuals, schools, faith-based institutions, civic organizations and corporate partners, then distributing those shoes and clothes both via direct donations to people in need and by provisioning qualified micro-enterprise programs designed to create jobs in poor and disadvantaged communities.
Since it began, Soles4Souls has distributed more than 26 million pairs of shoes in 127 countries. Based in Nashville, Tennessee, Soles4Souls is committed to the highest standards of operating and governance, and holds a four-star rating with Charity Navigator. For information, visit www.soles4souls.org for more information.
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