Soles4Souls, the Shoe Charity, Currently Giving Away One Pair of Shoes Every 7 Seconds

NASHVILLE, Tenn., July 27 /PRNewswire/ -- Soles4Souls Inc., the charity dedicated to providing free shoes to people in need, announced today that it is currently giving away one pair of shoes every seven seconds.  The non-profit organization provides new, gently worn and refurbished shoes to people in need around the world.

"We keep track of this figure so we can show our supporters how their donations are changing lives every day," said Wayne Elsey, the Founder and CEO of the charity.  "The incredible response we've received this year has helped us draw closer to our ultimate goal of giving away a pair of shoes every second," he said.

Soles4Souls first began to keep track of how many shoes it was donating in July 2007, when staff  members calculated they were giving away a pair every 28 seconds.  "Since then, our charity has gained 45 employees, thousands of corporate sponsorships and millions of individual supporters," said Elsey.  "This success is due to the valuable partnerships we're fortunate to have, from the largest footwear companies to the smallest neighborhood school, and the people who make up each organization," he said.

According to Elsey, Soles4Souls will continue to focus on its core mission, which is to track down excess inventory in American warehouses, stockrooms and closets in order to give them to people in desperate situations.  "They could be people escaping a flood, a fire or a hurricane with nothing but the clothes on their backs," said Elsey.  "It could be one of the young people we met who are forced to live in a flimsy tent city in Haiti, or it could be a foster child living in Oakland.  And there are plenty of people who are struggling because of terrible economic situations," he said.

Elsey noted that more than 50% of Soles4Souls shoe distributions occur in the United States, whether it's through a local homeless shelter, an agency dedicated to helping foster children, a church that reaches out to its community members, or a school that quietly identifies a child in need.  "We believe you don't have to look very far to see someone in need and we balance our distributions to reflect this core belief," he said.

About Soles4Souls®

Soles4Souls is a Nashville-based charity that collects shoes from warehouses of footwear companies and the closets of people like you.  We distribute these shoes, free of charge, to people in need around the world. Since 2005, Soles4Souls has given away over 10 million pairs of new and gently worn shoes (currently distributing one pair every 7 seconds). The shoes have been distributed in 125 countries, including Haiti, Kenya, Nepal and the United States. Soles4Souls is a 501(c)(3) recognized by the IRS and donating parties are eligible for tax advantages. Visit www.giveshoes.org  for more information.

Introducing Clothes4Souls™

Soles4Souls is proud to announce the launch of their new division, Clothes4Souls.  We strive to increase dignity and hope for hurting people through the gift of new clothing from manufacturers, designers, and retailers.  Those who graciously donate (rather than destroy) unused inventory will be assured the clothes will be given to people around the world living in desperate need.  Visit www.clothes4souls.org for more information.

SOURCE Soles4Souls Inc.