I have a pair of shoes that are in good shape because they were rarely worn. Can I donate them to Our Hearts to Your Soles?
The answer "no" usually comes as a surprise. There are many reasons for this, and I hope that by describing the main ones supporters will understand why Our Hearts to Your Soles cannot accept gently worn or even new shoes from unsolicited donors.
The first reason is from the point of view of the less fortunate who receive the shoes. When Our Hearts to Your Soles brings new shoes to an event, the needy simply want new shoes. They do not want hand-me-downs or secondhand shoes, and understanding this, we at Our Hearts to Your Soles want to treat each person that we see with dignity and respect. Why should one man get a new pair of shoes and another man not? Why should they wear shoes that have already conformed to the feet of the original wearer? In order to continue to achieve a high standard of care, we provide our clients with new shoes.
The second reason is about efficiency and low overhead costs. We want to serve the greatest number of people that we can, which means maximizing the amount of each donation that goes directly towards helping the less fortunate. As a consequence, Our Hearts to Your Soles does not have a facility to store shoe donations. This allows almost 100% of every donation to go directly to providing health care to the needy. Although we are rapidly expanding across the nation, the amount of people that ask to donate shoes is too small to have a facility in which to hold them. We, therefore, have decided not to invest in such a place but instead put your money directly to use buying shoes. Additionally, shipping gently used shoes across the country is expensive. The shipments are distributed through our partnerships with Soles4Souls and Red Wing Shoes. The management of Our Hearts to Your Soles has for these reasons decided not to accept gently used shoes from unsolicited donors.
We hope that you understand our current situation and can contribute financially. Less than $20 buys a less fortunate person a new pair of shoes, a few pairs of new socks, and a free medical screening. Thank you for your continued support.
What happens at an Our Hearts to Your Soles event?
Our Hearts to Your Soles has been putting on events since February 2006. The general concept and organization of each event have been similar from the beginning. Volunteers first unload the shipments of shoes and arrange them by size. The patient first sees the physician to have a their feet examined in which callouses and toenails are trimmed. Subsequently, the patient is then directed to the pedorthist or volunteer who measures his or her feet, fits the patient with a new pair of shoes, and supplies him or her with one or more pairs of new socks.
How can I donate to Our Hearts to Your Soles?
Anyone can donate to Our Hearts to Your Soles. For more information, visit the Donation page.
Where can I find an Our Hearts to Your Soles event near me?
For additional information about finding an Our Hearts to Your Soles event near you, please visit our Upcoming events page.