When was the last time you thought about how important it is to have shoes?
A good pair of shoes will
- Protect your feet from harmful objects
- Keep your feet clean from dirt and bacteria
- Provide support to your feet, knees, and hips
- And give you the ability to walk for miles without sustaining serious injury
When you think about it, shoes might be the most underappreciated item of everyday clothing.
But so many people around the world have a hard time accessing shoes.
That’s why we have been organizing the official shoe drive at the Christie Clinic Illinois Race Weekend since 2016.
Shoes Can Make A Difference
Here at The She Said Project, we know how impactful stories are. We also know how impactful a good pair of shoes can be.
The Shoe Said Project is our way of continuing the story for new or gently worn shoes, by collecting gently used shoes to distribute to partners who can distribute these shoes, both locally and globally.
The Impact of Shoe Drives
The national director of The She Said Project, Jenette Jurczyk, has volunteered at the shoe drives since 2012.
But it wasn’t until her 2016 trip to Haiti with a She Said: Soul Journey team at God’s Littlest Angels Orphanage that the power of a decent pair of shoes hit home. Jenette returned from that trip determined to expand the impact of the shoe drives she worked on.
Partnering With Share Your Souls
The Shoe Said Project continued to grow and in 2019 partnered with Share Your Soles – a nonprofit based in Chicago IL.
Share Your Soles is an incredible organization that has delivered over 5 million pairs of shoes to over 40 nations since its start 23 years ago.
The founder of Share Your Souls, Mona Purdy was a speaker at the virtual She Said Story Sharing showcase in 2020. We loved having Mona join the virtual She Said stage. And we’re even more excited to work with Mona and her team to support their mission of changing lives – one pair of shoes at a time.
Illinois Marathon Shoe Drives
Share Your Soles and The Shoe Said Project are now official partners of the Christie Clinic Illinois Race Weekend.
We’re proud to say that, since 2016, we have collected over 1,500 pairs of gently used shoes by hosting shoe drives during the marathon weekends. Jenette shared more about this mission as a guest contributor on the Illinois Marathon blog.
Each marathon runner (and each pair of marathon shoes) has its own story of struggle and victory. We love celebrating with the runners as they finish their races. And if they want to donate their gently used shoes once they’ve crossed the finish line? Even better.
At the Shoe Said Project, we love thinking about the journey of the shoes donated during marathon weekends. From beloved trainers in Illinois onward to beloved shoes for someone who needs them across the globe.
Who knows what second life a pair of shoes can have?
