County program wants your shoes

The local community betterment organization requests the donation of lightly-used shoes that might be taking up closet space in an effort to collect footwear for the needy.

“We’re asking people to get a box — maybe churches can have their own collection — and then just get them to us at the recycling center by the end of November,” KMCB director Sandra Webb said.

Webb is asking for those gently worn, good-condition shoes. County residents can dropoff these unwanted shoes until Nov. 30.

The drive is actually part of a regional effort — “Soles 4 Souls” — to collect 250,000 pairs of shoes. Other counties participating include Oconee County and Clarke County.

“We’re all working together on this,” Webb said.

Donated footwear should be bound together by shoestrings or rubber bands.

Webb hopes the word spreads to local organizations and institutions about this event.

“I’m hoping the schools will get involved and start collecting them and the churches and the businesses,” she said.

Webb believes the surplus is out there, noting that she sees several pairs of salvageable shoes thrown away at the Madison County transfer station.

In fact, she said she ran across a pair one day that was still in the box.

“You wouldn’t believe some of the shoes that come through here that are just perfect,” she said.