One of our partners, Westminster Presbyterian Church, accomplished something extraordinary, which was a big win for community initiatives. Over three hours, more than 50 volunteers got together to move shoes from two storage rooms onto a truck at the conclusion of their shoe drive fundraiser.
How many pairs of shoes would take three hours to move and 50 volunteers? More than 21,700 pairs of shoes in bags. In this volunteer-driven fundraiser, the volunteers formed a bucket brigade line and loaded the truck during the pick-up. In the process, every bag of shoes was a 100% profit fundraiser for Westminster Presbyterian Church.
The church raised funds for Cedar Rapids’ His Hands Free Clinic. The clinic is critical in the community because it provides for the “…physical, emotional and spiritual needs of those without adequate resources.” Moreover, the shoe drive fundraiser provided 500 pairs of shoes that went to Willis Dady Works, Mission of Hope, Catherine McAuley Center, St. Vincent de Paul, Metro Catholic Outreach, and residents of the flooded Rock Valley area.”
A Volunteer-Driven Fundraiser Fueled by Purpose
As far as community initiatives go, Westminster Presbyterian Church was all heart. As a church, they went all-in when they decided to do a shoe drive fundraiser. In other words, they were determined to collect as many pairs of shoes as possible in their community. So, when they asked our marketing team to create social media posts and other marketing materials, we were only too happy to oblige.
Their volunteer-driven fundraiser was so special for many reasons, but the biggest one was that it was all about giving. As we mentioned, the church collected for the His Hands Free Clinic and 500 shoes for local organizations in the community that would provide the shoes to people in need in their area. But, the church members were also looking to make an impact worldwide.
In developed nations, we purchase 400 times more clothing than we did in 1980. Still, with all that fast fashion and waste, approximately 70% of the global population reuses shoes and apparel. As a result, a shoe drive fundraiser is a socially responsible fundraiser. The aim is to raise funds for a local organization, but it’s also about making a global impact.
Global Impact with Local Roots
As Westminster Presbyterian Church exemplifies, community initiatives can thrive when organizations make it about a win/win/win. A shoe drive fundraiser is one of the best ways to achieve it because it does so much for so many. As we mentioned, it’s one of the best unique fundraising ideas. (Check out this list of over 100 amazing and unique fundraisers).
Still, a shoe drive fundraiser does more. It’s like a wave with ripple effects that extend beyond the center. For example, another winning ripple is that this fundraiser helps us to lower our carbon footprint collectively. When shoes get collected in a shoe drive fundraiser, they don’t go to landfills nationwide. Of course, that’s a win for the planet.
Instead, the shoes go to families in 24 developing nations and represent hope in the rippling effect. Over 4,000 micro-enterprise partners have an economic opportunity to help themselves out of poverty. Every pair of shoes is an opportunity to sell in their local community and make a living to support their families.
Heroes Behind Community Initiatives
Heroes Behind Community InitiativesAgain, what the Westminster Presbyterian Church accomplished was impressive. But they didn’t do it alone. Members of the church reached deep into the community and asked for support. As we know, when you ask, you usually find. Hope CDA, Kennedy Cougar football players, and various other community members, showed up to be of assistance.
In all, the community support and efforts of volunteers underscore the power of a volunteer-driven fundraiser. When organizations gather people together for a common cause, they can accomplish almost anything. We’re sure you agree with us. The fact is that we’re not as divided as it might seem. We believe that people want to do good.
Community initiatives like what happened in Cedar Rapids only prove that communities can create lasting change and impact. So, if this story inspires you, think about how you or your organization can be the change the world needs to see. The fact is that every small act contributes to larger ones when people work together.
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