Forty-nine boxes containing 745 pairs of shoes were donated during the 3rd annual new and used shoe drive hosted by McIntyre Library and the Student Office of Sustainability for the non-profit organization, Soles4Souls.
The drive was started at the University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire in honor of Earth Week, so McIntyre Library kept the process as green as possible throughout the entire collection campaign. The shoes were packed for transport to the drop off site up using recycled boxes, which were collected by University Facilities staff.
In addition to using recycled boxes, the containers used by donors to drop off their shoes, including plastic bags, were reused or recycled. Dozens of plastic bags were collected and recycled through McIntyre’s plastic bag recycling program that began this spring.
“It is amazing to see the community connections during the whole process,” said Jenna Vande Zande, research and communications associate and organizer of the shoe drive. “So many people come together to make this drive happen. Every pair of shoes collected can contribute to Soles4Soul’s mission, and it’s wonderful to see our community answer the call to help others.”
In total, 3,194 pairs of shoes have been donated to Soles4Souls through the three shoe drives hosted by McIntyre Library and the Student Office of Sustainability.
McIntyre Library would like to thank the UW-Eau Claire Ask Center, the Facilities staff who collected boxes, the Student Office of Sustainability for their sponsorship, and to everyone who donated shoes and contributed to the success of the drive.
About Soles4Souls
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 to supply its micro-enterprise, disaster relief and direct assistance programs. Since 2006, it has distributed more than 30 million pairs of shoes in 127 countries. A nonprofit social enterprise, Soles4Souls earns more than half of its income and commits 100% of donations to programs. Visit soles4souls.org for more information.
