FCCLA members are gathering gently used shoes for donation, with a twist. For every ten pairs of shoes donated by a member, they will have their name entered into a drawing for a $100 Amazon gift card.

Donations will be taken through the end of the week.

     “I have already gathered shoes to help donate to the shoe drive,” freshman Haley Brown said. “I am trying to get more people involved so I can have a chance for the gift card.”

     Collected shoes will be kept out of landfills, be reused and given a second life for those in need. Some shoes are sold to support families in need, while others are sent to Haiti, Cambodia, Ghana, Guatemala and other locations around the world. The impact reaches micro-entrepreneurs, sparking economic growth in developing nations. 

     Teachers have already started to get their shoes together to donate. English teacher Lauren Rodriguez has been collecting from what is in her closet as well as her kids’ shoes.

     “I plan on donating the shoes my kids have outgrown,” Rodriguez said. “I think with today’s economy, it has become harder for parents to purchase shoes for themselves and their family members. Shoes also create a lot of waste, so by donating shoes we are not only helping these families but the planet as a whole.”

     In countries with systemic poverty, a simple lack of shoes denies children the opportunity for education, perpetuating the cycle of poverty. Adults, deprived of job opportunities, turn to entrepreneurship, with shoe sales emerging as a vital source of income. FCCLA members are hoping to make an impact with their donations. 

     “We do a lot of service at the school. It is always good when we can reach out and get our entire community involved,” Chapter adviser Amanda Harter said. “We also have the opportunity to make more of an impact when we reach out to our churches. We hope this drive is a success.”