Art Van Furniture Steps Up To Collect Shoes For The Homeless During January "Shoe In"

WARREN, Mich., Jan. 5, 2015 /PRNewswire/ -- Michigan's brutal winters hit the homeless the hardest, so Art Van Furniture is teaming up with Cass Community Social Services throughout January to collect shoes and boots for individuals in need. As part of the retailer's "Shoe In" campaign, the public is encouraged to clean out their closets and drop off pairs of new and gently used shoes at all of Art Van Furniture's Michigan locations. Men, women and children with no place to live will be able to literally step into someone else's shoes and protect their feet during the cold winter months.

"When temperatures drop, the need increases for warm, waterproof shoes and boots for individuals who live outdoors since feet that are cold and wet are at great risk for frostbite or worse," said Gary Van Elslander, president of Art Van Furniture. "We cannot stand by and wait for the other shoe to drop; the time is now to help those in our community struggling to survive."

"When I was a child, my mother would use the old adage that we should 'walk a mile in the other person's shoes,' said Rev. Faith Fowler, executive director of Cass Community Social Services. "It meant, of course, that we should try and understand their circumstances. She wanted us to develop empathy and compassion. What better way to respond to the immediate needs of homeless people than to provide shoes that will keep their feet warm and dry."

Collection bins will be located in Art Van Furniture's 39 Michigan locations from January 5 through January 30, 2015. Cass Community Social Services, one of the Art Van Charity Challenge partners, will distribute the shoes and boots to the homeless. For more information, visit artvan.com.

About Art Van Furniture

Art Van Furniture is the Midwest's largest furniture retailer and America's largest independent furniture retailer. The company operates 94 stores throughout Michigan, Illinois, Ohio, and Indiana, including freestanding Art Van PureSleep mattress stores, Art Van Flooring stores, and Art Van Furniture franchise locations as well as a full service e-commerce website. Founded in 1959, the company is family-owned and headquartered in Warren, Michigan. Visit artvan.com for more information.

Cass Community Social Services

Cass Community Social Services (CCSS) is a Detroit-based agency that works across the City in areas of concentrated poverty providing programs for food, health, housing and jobs. CCSS prepares and serves 1 million meals annually and 325 homeless men, women and children currently stay in one of the agency's shelters, transitional house or permanent supportive housing programs. CCSS is a nonprofit 501 (c) (3). 

SOURCE Art Van Furniture

Related Links

http://www.artvan.com

WANT YOUR COMPANY'S NEWS FEATURED ON PRNEWSWIRE.COM?

440k+
Newsrooms &
Influencers

9k+
Digital Media
Outlets

270k+
Journalists
Opted In

GET STARTED