Attention anyone with a closet: Those shoes you no longer wear are desperately needed to fight the human tragedy of global poverty.
That’s the message being delivered by non-profit race organisers Fernie Tears & Gears, in partnership with Fernie Red Tree Lodge, who are co-hosting a shoe drive to collect as many shoes as possible between October 1st and December 1st.
Soles4Souls is a non-profit global social enterprise committed to fighting poverty through the collection and distribution of shoes and clothing. With over 1.2 billion people living on less than $1.25 a day, 400 million of which are children, many don’t have access to one of life’s basic necessities: a good pair of shoes.
Founded in 2006, Soles4Souls has distributed more than 26 million pairs of shoes in 127 countries. In a hugely active community like Fernie, and no place large enough to handle the volume of shoes looking for a new home, it’s of the belief Fernie can make a difference. From runners to flats, winter boots to sandals and everything in between, shoes can be of any type and any size, they just need to be in good working order and a matching pair.
Fernie Tears & Gears is supporting Soles4Souls because it is the definition of a social enterprise where solid business practices are used to create positive change in people’s lives. As a strong supporter of Soles4Souls’ anti-poverty mission, Tears & Gears and The Red Tree hope to take a big step in providing the organization with the used shoes they require to keep making a difference for people in need.
The simple truth is that almost anyone with a closet has shoes they don’t wear, or an old pair that will just end up in a landfill. It’s time to find them a new home. Below are the upcoming drop-off locations in Fernie:
Between October 1st and December 1st, bring your used shoes of any kind to:
• Red Tree Lodge – 1101 7th Ave, Fernie, BC
Additional Collection boxes are currently located at:
• Crossfit Fernie – 902 6th Ave, Fernie, BC
• Fernie School Aged Care – 51 2nd Ave, Fernie, BC
On Sunday October 4th, bring your shoes to:
• The Fernie Half Marathon. There will be a truck at the start/finish area, where you can drop off your shoes!
We hope to have more drop-off locations in coming weeks. So if you’re an event or organization which is happy to help collect shoes, please get in touch – Email Us
Please ensure shoes are still in good working order and are a matching pair, tied together with either the laces, or an elastic band.
