Church collects shoes for needy

Local residents are being invited to recycle their “gently worn” shoes beginning this weekend.

St. Andrew’s Episcopal Church is teaming up with nonprofit organization Soles4Souls to collect “gently worn” footwear and/or donations for people in need, whether they are victims of a natural disaster or subject to living in extreme poverty. It is estimated that Americans have 1.5 billion pairs of unused shoes lying in their closets. 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, founder and CEO of Soles4Souls. “We need our partners in the Rocky Mount area 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.

All shoes can be dropped off at St. Andrew’s Episcopal Church from 9 a.m. to noon on weekdays. A $1 contribution also is sought for each pair to help with shipping expenses. The shoe drive begins Sunday, with St. Andrew’s preschool and church families hosting a barefoot event, where participants will leave their shoes at the door as an act of worship and selflessness.

People and companies interested in donating can visit the organization’s Web site at www.giveshoes.org and follow the instructions.

Soles4Souls is a Nashville-based charity that collects shoes from private individuals and footwear companies and distributes the shoes free of charge to people in need. Since 2005, Soles4Souls has given away more than 5.5 million pairs of new and gently worn shoes to people in more than 125 countries.

For more information, please contact Tara Vester at 252-937-2459 or e-mail her at standrewspreschool@live.com.