Soles4Souls provides more than shoes to needy

YOUNGSTOWN

For many people, going barefoot is a choice. For others, it is their only option.

That’s where Soles4Souls steps in to help.

The nonprofit organization receives donations of used shoes and clothing and new items from corporations and retailers.

It makes direct donations to people in need and also sells the items to select micro-enterprise organizations that generate jobs and revenue in poor communities.

The Rev. Edward Brienz, director of the office of missions and evangelization in the Diocese of Youngstown, said the diocese has worked with Soles4Souls since 2006.

In the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina in 2005, Father Brienz began coordinating mission trips to New Orleans and other areas adversely affected by the devastating storm. He saw that people needed food, shelter, shoes and clothing. The priest learned about Soles4Souls. Diocesan churches and schools sponsor collections.

“It’s practical for the donors. ... They clean out closets and keep unwanted shoes out of landfills,” Father Brienz said.

More importantly, he emphasized, the shoes go to people who may not have one pair. Collections may provide tennis shoes for a girl at an orphanage in Haiti, casual shoes for a woman in Africa, and boots for a man in Appalachia. Shoes for children, women and men and footwear for all climates are needed.

Father Brienz said footwear that goes to people in need does more than shoe them — it also saves lives. “In some Third World countries, there is no access to tetanus shots or antibiotics when someone develops a medical issue after going barefoot and injuring their foot,” he said. Shoes provide an avenue to having a job and attending school.

About 40 churches and schools in the six-county diocese sponsor collections. Soles4Souls provides collection boxes stamped with its logo.

Read more about the program and how you can help in Thursday's Vindicator or on Vindy.com.