Feed the Children and Soles4Souls Deliver 85,000 Pairs of Shoes to Uganda, Africa

Feed the Children and Soles4Souls Deliver 85,000 Pairs of Shoes to Uganda, Africa

NASHVILLE, Tenn., and WADLEY, Ala., July 13 /PRNewswire/ -- The people of Uganda have battled against a runaway AIDS pandemic, a brutal civil war that has lasted for nearly two decades, and millions of orphaned children who struggle simply to make ends meet. Feed the Children is one organization that has offered its desperately-needed assistance, sending teams of volunteers to the region and procuring food, medical supplies, clothing and other necessities.

Recently, Feed the Children partnered with Soles4Souls, the charity that collects and distributes new and used footwear for people in poverty, to deliver over 85,000 pairs of shoes to the orphans and refugees of Uganda. Soles4Souls, which began in the wake of the Asian Tsunami and continued through the devastating effects of Hurricanes Katrina and Rita, collected these shoes from Teva, New Balance, and individuals around the country.

"We are ecstatic to be able to contribute these shoes to such a worthy cause," said Paul Wilson, President of Soles4Souls. "Feed the Children is a remarkable organization with whom we feel honored to entrust these donations. They are involved in all aspects of charitable programs, including delivering footwear to people who need it most," he said.

"I would like to thank the people at Soles4Souls for this generous donation which will make a huge and immediate impact on the lives of people who have literally nothing," said Larry Jones, president and co-founder of Feed The Children. "It may sound odd to say such a thing about something as simple as shoes, but to a person who has nothing this will mean the world. It will show the refugees in Uganda that there are people in the world that care about them."

Wilson pointed out that simple footwear donations can go a long way in areas that are lacking the most basic items. "Americans have more than 1.5 billion pairs of shoes in their closets while many of the poorest and needy go without any," he said. "It's a simple but telling gesture that can bring some assistance to those people in Africa and around the world."

Wilson added that partnering with Feed the Children was a simple decision because of the organization's mission and shipping resources. "We know that Feed the Children is dedicated to helping hurting and hungry people," he said. "It is expensive to ship this many shoes around the world, but FTC has taken the initiative to deliver these shoes to Africa."

Wilson also added that the shoes were already on their way to Uganda. The large shipment left the USA on July 13 and is scheduled for delivery by September 1.

About Soles4Souls

Soles4Souls facilitates the donations of shoes, which will be used to aid the hurting worldwide. Shoe companies, retailers, and individuals can donate footwear (both new and used) or cash. Soles4Souls is a 501(C)(3) recognized by the IRS and donating parties are eligible for tax advantages. For more information, visit http://www.soles4souls.org/ or call (334) TO-DONATE (334-863-6628).

About Feed the Children

During their 27-year history, Feed The Children has grown into one of the world's largest private organizations dedicated to helping hungry and hurting people. Last year, Feed The Children shipped 183 million pounds of food other essentials to children and families in all 50 states and internationally, supplementing more than 1,463,000 meals a day worldwide. Since their founding in 1979, Feed The Children has reached out to help children and families in 118 countries around the globe.

For more information, visit http://www.feedthechildren.org/ or call (405) 942-0228.

Source: Soles4Souls

CONTACT: Paul Wilson, President of Soles4Souls, +1-334-863-6628

Web site: http://www.soles4souls.org/
http://www.feedthechildren.org/

-------
Profile: intent