Soles4Souls shoes ministry

If I asked you to help someone in need, you might say, “Look, I have problems of my own.“ 

But there is a special ministry that everyone can help… maybe more than you know.

The ministry is called Soles4Souls. They provide shoes to people who need them. Think about how many pair of shoes are in your closet right now that you’ll probably never wear again.

Finding the right fit can be tough when getting new shoes, but for many getting the size right isn’t always the hard part. That’s where Soles4Souls comes in.

Tiffany Johnson of Soles4Souls said, “Our motto is changing the world, one pair at a time, and we do about 50 percent of our work in the U.S. and the remainder all over the world.“

On this day, folks come to The Foundry in Bessemer, where for the entire day, free new shoes are given out. Michele Holloway works at The Foundry and today’s Soles4Souls event is consistent with what they do here every day.

“That’s right, as Christians we’re called to be God’s hands and God’s feet, and that’s what I want to do, that’s what my goal is,“ Holloway said.

One might think that the mood here would be somber, but it’s positive and it’s upbeat.  People reaching out to help others in return get appreciation for the effort, especially during difficult times.

“People are choosing between, do I buy groceries this week or do I get my child, whose foot is growing faster than I can provide for new shoes,“ Johnson said.

Many give money to purchase news shoes, and many shoe companies donate new shoes, but that’s just part of the ministry.

“We really urge people to clean out their closets,” Johnson said. “In America there is an estimated 1.25 billion pairs of shoes sitting in closets of people in America they don’t wear. We want those, because we refurbish them and give them away and if we can’t we recycle them….we’re 100 percent self-sustainable.“

It’s simple. Just about anyone can help, and maybe all you have to do is clean out your closet.

“That’s the beauty of what we do,” Johnson said. “People get it and they understand it. Everybody needs shoes and everybody can give a pair of shoes away, and if not you can give $5 and a pair of flip-flops will go somewhere around the world or a pair of shoes to somebody.“

There are at least 10 drop-off locations for Soles4Soles in our area.  Click here for more information.