Opportunities From: PATH Volunteer Hub

Do good and feel good while social distancing!

We’ve noticed lots of folks talking about using their “social distancing” time to finally tackle some things they’ve been meaning to do forever… like cleaning out their closets and setting aside things to donate. If that’s you, we’re guessing you’ll stumble across some shoes and clothing you forgot you had—and will never wear again. And if you do, we’ll take ‘em.

Here's why: the average person in North America throws away 70 pounds of textiles every year. That’s 21 billion pounds of extra waste dumped in our landfills every year! And the EPA estimates only 15% is donated or recycled.

Since 2006, our amazing supporters have diverted 59 million pounds of shoes and clothing from landfills.

Soles4Souls Mission:

Soles4Souls disrupts the cycle of poverty by creating sustainable jobs and providing relief through the distribution of shoes and clothing around the world. Headquartered in Nashville, Tennessee, the organization repurposes product supply its micro-enterprise, disaster relief and direct assistance programs. Since 2006, we have distributed more than 35 million pairs of shoes in 127 countries and generated over $250 million in economic impact. A non-profit social enterprise, Soles4Souls earns more than 70% of its income and commits 100% of donations to programs.

Volunteer Project:

 Pledge to clean out your closet by registering here ("Create Your Own") option: https://www.soles4souls.org/shoe-drive-registration/  Optional: Have Kiddos? Do some good while social distancing, superhero style! Here is a link to our Soles4Souls Superhero Kit! https://www.soles4souls.org/wp-content/uploads/DoGood-4thePlanet_SuperHero-ColorKit_Final.pdf.  Grab some trash bags and go to your closets  Put clothes in one bag and shoes in another - it can be 1, 5 or 100 pairs - we will take them:)  Email your bag count/zip code to Stephanie Hathaway, Director of Operations at stephanieh@soles4souls.org to determine the nearest secure, no-contact, drop-off locations that adhere to social distancing requirements.   Note: Every 20 lbs collected = 1 hour of community service!!! So if your child needs service hours for school, your seeking to fill court ordered requirements, your company does any type of corporate matching for service hours, or you are just looking for a way to serve - this will count:) Watch the impact of what you have donated: https://youtu.be/uROfTYIYRCY

Thank you for your kindness, support and understanding. The communities we serve still need our assistance and we thank you for helping us continue our mission. Please take care of yourself and one another!

By hosting a shoe drive you can create community engagement, provide new opportunities for those in need AND give back to the environment. All you have to do is rally everyone you know to clean out their closets and donate their used shoes. You will pick them up from them or have places for them to drop-off. We have branded S4S boxes you are welcome to use and place (with the place’s permission) at your office, church, library, school, local business, grocery store, etc. When you finish collecting, you will bring them to the Soles4Souls Regional Donation Center in Richmond, VA. At this point you have completed your drive. If you would like to volunteer additionally and help process the shoes in the warehouse, you can do this with or without doing a drive. You can invest as much time or as little time into your drive. We will write you a service letter if needed. Soles4Souls creates sustainable jobs and provides relief through the distribution of shoes and clothing around the world. It’s estimated that 21 billion pounds of textile waste is dumped in landfills every year. That makes up more than 5% of all municipal waste generated every year. Since 2006, Soles4Souls has diverted 23.8 million pounds of shoes and clothes from landfills and instead created meaningful economic opportunities and helped provide new shoes for those in need around the globe. Gently-worn shoes collected help individuals start and sustain small businesses to lift themselves and their families out of poverty.

Here are the steps for conducting a shoe drive:

Register to host a shoe drive for a specific period of time and with a goal in mind. I would bring/send you a collection box or you can come pick it up. You line this with a hefty duty garbage bag and replace as it gets full. Try to find people-facing locations to host boxes for you if you prefer. I can help you with this! Communicate your drive! This a link to different logos, images, etc that you can use. If you haven’t already, check out our YouTube channel for inspiration! There are also flyers attached. Optional: we can issue a press release and/or geo-targeted social media posts about your shoe drive. Take lots of pictures and share with me so I can feature your group’s efforts! Also, follow our local Facebook page here. Once the drive concludes, make sure all the pairs are rubber-banded together or laces are tied and the total amount is counted. You can drop them off one of our warehouses or bins in garbage bags! You will coordinate your drop-off time with me. One additional thing to note– every 20 pairs donated, counts as one hour of service plus all the time spent marketing your drive, collecting and preparing shoes and anything else relevant to your shoe drive! Here is the impact an entrepreneur can make with the sale of 1, 20 or 30 pairs of shoes:
1 pair of shoes can provide 5 meals for Marie-Ange and her family in Haiti,
20 pairs of shoes can provide a year’s worth of shelter for Ginette and her family in Haiti and
30 pairs of shoes can provide a year’s worth of schooling for Tracy’s daughter in Honduras.