WILMINGTON — Have a pair of shoes that doesn’t get much wear time? The Friends School of Wilmington Parent Teacher Organization plans to put them to good use at home and abroad.
The PTO will collect gently-used or new shows from May 15 through Aug. 15. Its goal is to collect 300 bags of shoes, each bag containing no more or less than 25 pairs of shoes.
The PTO will earn funds based on the total weight of the shoes collected from the group Funds2Orgs, which will purchase all of the donated footwear.
This year, a portion of the proceeds raised from the shoe drive will go toward helping to fund the school’s seventh and eighth grade Dominican Republic 2017 Service Learning and Language Immersion Trip.
Anyone can help by donating gently worn, used or new shoes at one of two collection points: The Friends School Pine Grove Campus and its Peiffer Campus.
The school is also seeking more collection points. If you are a business owner or know someone who would be willing to help the shoe drive by providing additional collection points, the PTO ask that you contact the organization.
Donated shoes will be redistributed throughout the Funds2Orgs network of micro-enterprise partners in developing nations. Funds2Orgs helps impoverished people start, maintain and grow businesses in countries such as Haiti, Honduras, Senegal and other nations in Central America and Africa. Proceeds from the shoe sales are used to feed, clothe and house their families.
“We are excited about our shoe drive,” a press release from the PTO states. “We know that most people have extra shoes in their closets they would like donate and help those less fortunate become self-sufficient. It’s a win-win for everyone. By donating gently worn, used and new shoes to the Friends School of Wilmington PTO Flash Shoe Drive, the shoes will be given a second chance and make a difference in people’s lives.”
