Soles4Souls "Barefoot Week" Campaign Empowers Families Through Shoes

NASHVILLE, Tenn., Oct. 7, 2015 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Soles4Souls is kicking off its Barefoot Week campaign October 11 - 16 with events across the United States and Canada to fight poverty and raise awareness through shoe collections and distributions.

Nashville, Tenn.-based Soles4Souls, a not for profit global social enterprise committed to fighting poverty through the collection and distribution of shoes and clothing, is partnering with faith leaders and children's footwear company Stride Rite® for this year's campaign.

"Barefoot Week is both a reminder of how many people in the world need shoes and a celebration of the giving spirit of so many great people and organizations who support Soles4Souls and believe in making a difference for those in need," Soles4Souls CEO and President Buddy Teaster said. "Whether raising awareness by going barefoot, the selfless act of donating your own shoes, or helping to bridge the economic gap by providing a new pair of shoes, these all play an important part in our mission of wearing out poverty."

Barefoot Week kicks off with Barefoot Sunday on October 11. Visit barefootsunday.org for more information.Soles4Souls is working with churches to challenge members of their congregation to donate the shoes they wear to church on that day and leave barefoot as a gesture of good will. The gently used shoes from participating churches will be collected and sent to Soles4Souls where the shoes will support the organization's micro-enterprise programs, creating jobs and personal income in impoverished nations like Haiti, Honduras and the Philippines.

Barefoot Week continues October 12 - 16, as Soles4Souls partners with children's footwear company Stride Rite® to distribute 5,000 pairs of shoes to children in need in five cities across the United States. The cities and dates include:

• October 12 – San Diego, Calif.
• October 13 – Orlando, Fla.
• October 14 – Baltimore, Md.
• October 15 – Boston, Mass.
• October 16 – Nashville, Tenn.

Soles4Souls is also teaming up with Stride Rite® to collect gently used shoes through a national shoe donation campaign. From now until October 19, customers can donate outgrown or unwanted shoes at their nearest Stride Rite® retail location and receive a 25 percent discount on in-store purchases. Visit striderite.com/soles4souls to learn more.

Barefoot Week culminates on Friday, October 16 with Barefoot4Them, the organization's fourth annual public awareness campaign. Soles4Souls is asking the public to join the cause by registering at www.barefoot4them.org. On Friday, October 16, participants are encouraged to post a picture of themselves going barefoot on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter and other social media platforms with the hash tag #barefoot4them.

Barefoot4Them emphasizes the plight of the estimated 1.2 billion living on less than $1.25 per day who don't have access to adequate footwear. Without proper footwear, millions of children won't be able to attend school and tens of millions will become infected with soil-transmitted parasitic diseases like hookworm, causing lifelong debilitation and suffering.

ABOUT SOLES4SOULS

Soles4Souls is a not for profit global social enterprise committed to fighting poverty through the collection and distribution of shoes and clothing. The organization advances its anti-poverty mission by collecting new and used shoes and clothes from individuals, schools, faith- based institutions, civic organizations and corporate partners, then distributing those shoes and clothes both via direct donations to people in need and by provisioning qualified micro-enterprise programs designed to create jobs in poor and disadvantaged communities. Based in Nashville, Tennessee, Soles4Souls is committed to the highest standards of operating and governance, and holds a four-star rating with Charity Navigator.  Visit soles4souls.org for more information.

ABOUT STRIDE RITE

Founded in 1919, Stride Rite combines heritage and knowledge, steeped in nearly 100 years in children's footwear, with a modern-day understanding of kids' every day adventures. Inspired by real life, Stride Rite prides itself on making great looking, high quality footwear, building strong consumer relationships and providing families with the best shopping experience in the industry.  Powered by a team of dedicated kid experts, who are also devoted parents, Stride Rite is truly Built for Childhood ™. Stride Rite is a division of Wolverine World Wide, Inc. For additional information, please visit our website, striderite.com.

ABOUT WOLVERINE WORLDWIDE

With a commitment to service and product excellence, Wolverine World Wide, Inc. is one of the world's leading marketers of branded casual, active lifestyle, work, outdoor sport, athletic, children's and uniform footwear and apparel.  The Company's portfolio of highly recognized brands includes: Merrell^®, Sperry^®, Hush Puppies^®, Saucony^®, Wolverine^®, Keds^®, Stride Rite^®, Sebago^®, Cushe^®, Chaco^®, Bates^®, HYTEST^®, and Soft Style^®.  The Company also is the global footwear licensee of the popular brands Cat^® and Harley-Davidson^®.  The Company's products are carried by leading retailers in the U.S. and globally in approximately 200 countries and territories.  For additional information, please visit our website, www.wolverineworldwide.com.

SOURCE Soles4Souls

Related Links

http://www.giveshoes.org