Coldwater Kiwanis 'kick off' shoe drive

COLDWATER - Coldwater Kiwanis members hope to improve the health of people in developing countries and generate some income at the same time through their annual shoe drive.

The club is a partner with Cincinnati-based Missions In Motion International Ministries for the Shoes for H.O.P.E. program.

Shoes for H.O.P.E. (Helping Other People Excel) strives to create a positive effect around the world. Since 2013 the organization has shipped more than 241,415 pairs of shoes to Haiti and Africa.

"Shoes are made from materials that don't disintegrate well. So this keeps them out of the landfills. It's making a difference," local Kiwanis member Linda Steinbrunner said. "People in the developing countries actually are running a business with the shoes that go over there."

"They will set up shops and take the ones that need repair and repair them. They'll do a business and make a little money selling them," Steve Stein-brunner said.

"You're not only giving shoes away, you're helping a small business at the same time," he said, adding feedback from the Cincinnati group has been very positive.

"The shoes we get from you are great," mission member Cathy Shupe told them.

"We've been a good partner for them," Linda Steinbrunner added. "We do provide nice shoes."

Shoes are usually collected in May, but the project was moved to July this year due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Last year's drive collected 4,275 pairs.

Steve Steinbrunner said donated shoes must be gently used or new, must be in pairs and must still have some use left.

All shoes are welcome from kids to adults, flip-flops to boots. The most needed are children's shoes and athletic shoes.

"It is amazing how many new shoes we get sometimes. They still have the tags on," Linda Steinbrunner said, adding some people find items on sale or on clearance and buy them just to donate.

"It's wonderful that people do that," she said. "It helps our new shoes that are going out."

Most kids wear out their tennis shoes, so not too many of those are donated, she noted.

Collection points through the end of July are Innergy Fitness in Coldwater, Coldwater Public Library and Briarwood Village. A shoe drive will take place from 9 a.m.-noon Saturday in the Holy Trinity Catholic Church parking lot.

Innergy Fitness has proven to be a great collection spot, Steve Steinbrunner said. Runners replace shoes often, and their retired pairs are usually in good shape.

"They get rid of them sooner, and they still have life in them," he said.

Mercer County Council on Aging often donates when too many shoes have been donated for the senior center garage sale.

The local Kiwanis club was introduced to the project in 2015 as part of a district service project. The goal was to provide shoes for people in developing countries and raise funds for the district.

Coldwater and Celina Kiwanians worked together that year and collected more than 400 bags, with each bag containing 25 pairs. The division was one of the largest collectors in the state. The following year, the Coldwater group went solo and collected 258 bags of shoes.

The club receives 10 cents per pound of shoes from Missions In Motion. It uses the proceeds - a total of $2,180 over four years - for local Kiwanis projects such as scholarships, Arts in the Park and charitable contributions.

"It's a fair amount of work, but that's $500 (per year) we can put towards scholarships or anything else," Linda Steinbrunner said.

Missions In Motion reports more than 300 million children do not have shoes and 3 billion people cannot afford shoes. People die every day from diseases contracted simply due to not having shoes to wear.

"It's heartwarming to feel that you are helping others," Linda Steinbrunner said.

Locally, 21,595 pairs of shoes have been collected in five years. In 2017 and 2018 The Mad Run committee donated 295 pairs of muddy shoes that had been abandoned after the Fort Recovery event.

"They said, 'This would be a great way to get rid of our shoes,'" Linda Steinbrunner said.

The committee hosed off the shoes and let them dry outside for several days before donating.

Shoes are counted and bagged when they are taken from the collection points. The bags are stored in the garage of a Kiwanis member until pickup.

Kiwanis members must contend with the weight of the bags. High school football players and Mariners baseball players have helped load the trucks in previous years.

The mission group sends a truck to pick up shoes collected in Coldwater. They then go to Florida, where they are shipped by boat to Haiti, Africa and other developing countries. Most of those collected locally go to Haiti.

The questions most asked about the local program is, "Are you going to do it again this year?" and "When are you going to start?"