If the shoe fits … wear it! But if it doesn’t, then what? The students at Three Sisters Adventist Christian School in Bend, Ore., know what to do. They have been collecting unwanted and used shoes this school year to aid the Shoeman Water Projects. This nonprofit organization collects donated shoes — any kind, new or gently used — from schools, churches, businesses and shoe drives and exports them to places like Haiti, Kenya and South America. The secondhand shoes are a valuable product for street vendors around the world to sell at affordable prices. People who do not have shoes or cannot afford to purchase new shoes can buy the used shoes for pennies on the dollar.
More than 100 pairs of shoes have been collected at Three Sisters Adventist Christian School this year, with more used shoes arriving weekly. After collection at the school, an affiliate from the charity picks up the shoes and sends them on their way.
Funds generated from the export of shoes provide well-drilling rigs, water-purification systems and hand-pump repair. People who thirst receive fresh drinking water, and whole communities are blessed. For more information, contact shoemanwater.org.
Three Sisters Adventist Christian School in Bend has collected more than 100 pairs of shoes this year to be resold in developing countries to raise money for development projects in those countries.
