Soles4Souls® Inc, the Shoe Charity, Asks Public to Do Some Spring Cleaning for Earth Day (April 22) and Donate Their Used Shoes

Help Soles4Souls keep shoes out of landfills while helping those in need

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Apr 12, 2011, 02:12 ET

NASHVILLE, Tenn., April 12, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- This year more than 300 million pairs of shoes will end up in American landfills (U.S. Dept. of Interior). Many shoes take more than 40 years to break down and decompose. Combined with non-biodegradable products like electronics, they can dispense toxins into the ground. But what if the items you toss could help change someone's life? Soles4Souls, the international shoe charity that distributes new and gently worn shoes, is helping celebrate Earth Day by offering the general public a safe and environmentally friendly way to recycle and reuse their unwanted shoes while providing shoes for those who need them.

(Logo: http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20110412/CL81800LOGO )

This Spring, Soles4Souls is asking people to 'go green' by cleaning out their closets and delivering their gently worn shoes to drop-off locations in their area. Shoes collected will be distributed to individuals in need either by gift or through Soles4Souls' micro-enterprise efforts, which allows individuals overseas to use these shoes to support themselves. There are thousands of official drop-off locations throughout the country. To find a drop-off location in your area, visit www.soles4souls.org.

"We have a goal at Soles4Souls to prevent even one pair of shoes from making it into the landfills," said Wayne Elsey, Founder and CEO of Soles4Souls. "With the arrival of Spring and the celebration of Earth Day, it's the perfect time to teach the public about the international need for shoes and how recycling your old shoes can help save someone's life. We need individuals, companies and churches to step up and help further the global effort to reuse," he said.

Individuals, civic groups, schools, and places of worship interested in hosting a shoe drive for Earth Day can visit www.soles4souls.org for free collection and promotional materials.

About Soles4Souls®, Clothes4Souls®, and Hope4Souls™

Soles4Souls collects new shoes to give relief to the victims of abject suffering and collects used shoes to support micro-business efforts to eradicate poverty. Soles4Souls' other two divisions, Clothes4Souls and Hope4Souls, provide the same relief and support through clothing and other necessities. Donating parties are eligible for tax advantages. Visit www.giveshoes.org, www.clothes4souls.org, or www.hope4souls.org for more information.

SOURCE Soles4Souls