Soles4Souls(R), the Shoe Charity is Collecting Donations to Aid in the Relief Effort in Chile

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Mar 01, 2010, 06:46 ET

NASHVILLE, Tenn., March 1 /PRNewswire/ -- In response to the 8.8 magnitude earthquake in Chile, the second country to be devastated by a quake in less than 8 weeks, Soles4Souls, the shoe charity, is asking the general public to help send aid to the survivors of this natural disaster. For less than $5, people can make a difference in an individual's life with the gift of shoes and clothing.

"The devastation in Chile is heartbreaking. We are asking individuals to help the survivors of this quake begin to rebuild their lives," said Wayne Elsey, Founder and CEO of Soles4Souls. "For the cost of a venti coffee, people can make a difference in the lives of two individuals by helping them receive shoes and clothing."

Soles4Souls recently launched Clothes4Souls, a charitable clothing division, to help facilitate the distribution of new clothing to people in need. Clothes4Souls is collecting new clothing from manufacturers and retail partners.

All of the donations received will be used for the Chile relief effort. Individuals interested in donating funds can visit www.giveshoes.org and click on the donate tab.

The country of Chile was devastated Saturday by the earthquake with nearly 1,000 deaths already confirmed, and millions of people without water or electricity around the capital of Santiago. This comes almost seven weeks after the 7.0 magnitude earthquake that struck the capital of Haiti, where Soles4Souls has committed more than 1.3 million pairs of shoes and other supplies. More than 230,000 people were killed in Haiti and more than 1 million are still homeless.

About Soles4Souls®

Soles4Souls is a Nashville-based charity that collects shoes from the warehouses of footwear companies and the closets of people like you. The charity distributes these shoes free of charge to people in need, regardless of race, religion, class, or any other criteria. Since 2005, Soles4Souls has given away over 7 million pairs of new and gently worn shoes (currently donating one pair every 9 seconds.) The shoes have been distributed to people in over 125 countries, including Kenya, Thailand, Nepal and the United States. Soles4Souls has been featured in Runner's World, Ladies' Home Journal, National Geographic's Green Guide and The New York Times. It has appeared on CBS, ABC, NBC, FOX, BBC, CNN and thousands of regional news outlets across North America. Soles4Souls is a 501(c)(3) recognized by the IRS and donating parties are eligible for tax advantages. Anyone can join our cause, and we need your help. 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