Thursday, May 08, 2008

Philanthropy Thursday - And it's About Shoes!

As we edge further away from the holidays, I think it's even more important to give some time and thought to those in need. Especially given the abysmal state of our economy both at home and abroad, I know that even though I, too, am feeling the pinch at the grocery store and the gas station, at least I can still feed my family and fuel my car. Hell, at least I even have a car. There but for the grace of God go I - especially these days.



When I was talking to Sarah the other day, you know - my shoe whore best friend - she told me about a charity that just needs to be talked about. It's Soles 4 Souls.

Did you know that over 300 million children around the world have never had a pair of shoes? Ever? That women in other countries routinely walk 50 miles a day to retrieve their daily water with nothing on their feet? Have you thought about victims of the Asian Tsunami, Hurricanes Katrina or Rita and what they might do to protect their feet after their homes and even loved ones had been washed away? Soles 4 Souls knows this - and they also know how many unworn shoes are sitting around in the average American's closet. I'm not even "addicted" to shoes, but I can guarantee that if I took stock of our home's shoe situation, I could easily box up a dozen pairs of shoes for children, women and even men.

As I think about the global economy, and people all over the world who go without the most basic necessities while I have a closet stuffed with my heart's desires, I feel compelled to act. I hope you do, too.

Today I am boxing up our shoes. You can do it, too. Summer is coming - and we all know that for most of us that means cute summer sandals. Even if it's just a cute pair from Payless - why not clear out your closet and make room for the new, while taking your gently worn shoes (or new if you're feeling really generous!) and sending them to Soles 4 Souls.

13 comments:

painted maypole said...

i just might do that. i'm not a "shoe person" either, and yet i have WAY more shoes than I wear.

Memarie Lane said...

Dude. I haven't bought shoes in three years.

Anonymous said...

I am absolutely doing this tomorrow. I've been saving the shoes the kids most recently outgrew to donate, and I can take them (the shoes, not the kids) to the mall and drop at one of the participating locations. Thanks for the great idea!

Suzanne said...

I will be doing this soon. thanks for bringing it to our attention.
Love your blog...you are too funny!

Putting the FUN in DysFUNctional said...

I had never heard of this charity. Thanks for posting about it! I usually freecycle the kids' old shoes, but this gives me another option.
~Cyndy

Jenn @ Juggling Life said...

Thanks for this--turns out their's a permanent location at the grocery store by our orthodontist office.

And we surely have shoes to spare!

Jennifer S said...

Thank you for this information. I actually have a box of shoes that I culled from my closet a while back. Glad to have somewhere to take them that will do some real good!

Anonymous said...

I can't thank you enough for bringing this to my attention. I love shoes! From Payless to Prada my closet and the rest of my family's closets abound. I always just donated my kids (very gently worn b/c I buy so many) shoes to goodwill or a church sale. I love the idea of this charity and intend to do some boxing up a.s.a.p Now I can tell my man that my sickness contributes to a higher cause!

Liv said...

ooh! cool. i need to check this out!

Fairly Odd Mother said...

I have a pile of, no lie, about 10 pairs of shoes I had just cleared out of my shoe rack. This is where they will go. Thank you!

dawn224 said...

huh. I can totally do this.

Anna Sawin said...

What a great thought. I have more than enough to share. Thank you!

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