The holiday season is in full swing. For instance, Giving Tuesday has just passed. And now we’re in the middle of the most generous time of year. Did you know that Americans are some of the most giving people in the world? Last year, Americans gave $427.71 billion to charity. According to an article in Independent Sector, “63 million Americans volunteer about 8 billion hours of their time, talent, and effort to improve and strengthen their communities.” And, because of the American spirit, thousands have donated shoes to shoe drive fundraisers. In other words, charities have raised money. But people have also helped the environment and micro-entrepreneurs when they donate shoes.
As we know, there are many ways to support people and life on our planet. For instance, we can give money to charity. Or, we can volunteer our time and talent to groups in need. As for us, our team loves how we do it, helping nonprofits and schools raise money by collecting gently worn, used and new shoes. Why do we love it so? We know there are 300 million people around the world who can not afford a pair of shoes. Meaning, they live in extreme poverty. So, when people like you donate shoes to a shoe drive fundraiser, it helps so many. Today, we’re going to share with you how your shoes can impact the lives of children.
A child living without shoes
While we come together during the holidays, it’s important to remember the need of hundreds of millions of children. It is often quoted that 300 million children on the planet do not own a pair of shoes. And, that’s because their families are incredibly poor. While we have made great strides toward the U.N. Sustainable Development Goals, we have more to go. And, as we know, it will take innovative solutions, including people looking to donate shoes to a shoe drive fundraiser in their town. (We’ll explain more about that a bit later in this article).
When you donate shoes, you join a movement. It’s a movement of well-meaning people seeking to make a local and also global impact. When a child doesn’t have a pair of shoes to wear, several things can occur. First, a child without shoes is prone to getting dangerous infections from the ground. And, in places where poverty is prevalent, it’s sometimes hard to fight these diseases because doctors and medicine are in short supply. Thus, wearing shoes is vital for children as a matter of health.
But, there are two other important reasons why we should consider giving shoes to others. 70 percent of the global population uses repurposed clothing and shoes. And, as it concerns children when they are of school-age, shoes are a necessary part of a school “uniform.” Meaning, that if children don’t have shoes, the chances are they can not attend school and get an education.
What happens when you donate shoes
Unfortunately, one of the reasons people continue putting clothes and shoes to the trash is that they don’t know where or how to dispose of it. Thus, we continue to create challenges for our planet that are not sustainable and harm life on it. Secondly, we miss an opportunity to donate shoes to children and families in need around the world. If you’re reading this, you have the chance to join the shoe drive fundraising movement.
When you donate shoes to a shoe drive fundraiser, you help your nonprofit, school, church, or civic group raise money. In other words, this is one of the most unique fundraisers. Second, you do your part for green living. In other words, you help contribute to lowering our collective carbon footprint. By repurposing shoes, you give them another life. Then, social enterprises like ours get them to people in need around the world. Finally, the shoes get sold by micro-entrepreneurs in developing nations. So, families have a chance to help themselves out of poverty when the footwear gets sold for a fraction of their original market price. That means more adults and children have the opportunity to own a pair of shoes.
In conclusion, as we all come together with our families and friends during the holiday season, let’s not forget the need on the planet. If you want to make a difference, there are many ways to do it, including when you donate shoes to raise funds for a good cause and make a global social impact.
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