The other day, I saw a drop box for shoes outside a local independent bookstore that we go to. I asked the owner about it and she mentioned that it was for a program that distributes the shoes to poor people in need, both in our community and in others.

That got me thinking about how much we take shoes for granted. I hate wearing them myself and never do indoors, or even in our yard; but I’d be pretty uncomfortable without them when I leave the house. I tend to only keep one pair around for myself, but my daughter and husband have a few for different uses, and I know other family members who have dozens of pairs. I can’t even imagine what it’s like to not have any shoes at all.

Donating your used—or even new!—shoes to someone in need is a very kind thing to do. Here are some places that will accept your donations and give them to people in need:

Soles4Shoes: This organization distributes shoes both domestically and globally. In addition to your shoes, they will also accept monetary donations. They have provided over a million pairs of shoes for people affected by Hurricanes Ike, Rita and Katrina as well as the Asian tsunamis and other national disasters.

Shoe Bank: This organization gives over 20,000 people around the world shoes every year. Most recipients are children.

Donate Your Old Shoes: This nonprofit’s mission is to put shoes on the soles of people’s feet worldwide. They accept donations as well as hold drives at businesses, churches and schools.

Heart and Sole: This group gives the poorest people of the world shoes. They have shipped over 6,000 pairs around the world. You can send in new and gently used shoes to:

Ann Cook

A314 East Fee Hall

College of Osteopathic Medicine

Michigan State University

East Lansing, MI48824-1316

Hope Runs: This organization distributes shoes to AIDS orphans in Africa. Other donations, aside from shoes, are also accepted.

If all else fails, you can always give them to…

• Childcare centers, schools, Nurses for Newborns, Parents as Teachers, and other groups that deal with children who may need shoes
• Anyone you see nearby—a neighbor, a homeless person maybe—who could use some shoes
• The Salvation Army, Goodwill or other secondhand shops that sell them cheaply
• The Vietnam Veterans Association, Children’s House or anyplace that visits your neighborhood to pick up household items and clothing for a cause