By Angela H. Hill
Left shoe, right shoe. Shoes, shoes, shoes.
By October 31, two local nonprofits hope to collect approximately 6,000 gently worn pairs of shoes for the Shoes for Souls program, a charitable program that ships shoes around the world to those in need.
In return for a total donation of 7,500 pairs of shoes, the Stuart United Methodist Church youth group and the Patrick County Shooting Education Team will receive $3,000. The two groups plan to split those funds, sending half to the Feed the Funnel program and the remainder to defray entry fees for county students competing in shooting competitions and events.
Jane Cardwell, head of the Stuart UMC youth group, said any kind of shoe will do: from boots and flip-flops to high heels and children’s athletic shoes. If donors can’t bring the shoes to a pick-up spot listed below, Cardwell will come get them. Those interested may call her at (276) 694-7735 or (276) 692-7506.
“For people who don’t own shoes, this will bless them,” Cardwell said. “It’s a win-win situation. Just by getting rid of something you don’t use anymore, you’re helping people around the world and helping people here in Patrick County.”
Cardwell said Feed the Funnel is already set to pack as many as 40,000 meals on April 1, 2017, at Rotary Field. Each meal feeds a family of four. The meals will be distributed through area church food banks, the Disaster Food Relief Ministry, and the Patrick County Food Bank.
Shoe drop-off points are:
• Lowe’s Foods
• Blue Ridge Furniture
• Spring Drug
• Stuart United Methodist Church
• Old Town & Country building in Patrick Springs.
