South Main Baptist Church in Houston, Texas, has supported Buckner Shoes for Orphan Souls® almost as long as the humanitarian aid program has been in existence. After a mission trip to a Russian orphanage in 2000, church members Henry and Maggie Hill brought back a passion for the need to provide vulnerable children with something so simple yet so critical to their futures – a pair of shoes.
 
When this year’s annual shoe collection drive concluded in July, congregation members and friends of South Main generously donated more than 5,600 pairs of new shoes for vulnerable children.
 
Over the course of nearly 25 years, church members have collected more than 200,000 shoes in total, remaining one of the largest shoe collections in Houston.

 
Some of the shoes will remain in the Houston community for local children going back to the classroom this month. Texans on Mission generously transported the remainder of donated shoes from Houston to the Buckner Center for Humanitarian Aid in Dallas, Texas, the home of Buckner’s domestic and international shoe distribution program.
 
“We are so thankful for the continued support from South Main Baptist Church and Texans on Mission who volunteer each year to transport the shoes for vulnerable children,” said Dior Burns, director of operations and administration for Buckner Houston.
 
The shoes collected provide hope for vulnerable children living in Houston communities such as the Northside area and Reed Road in southwest Houston. In these areas, Buckner offers a variety of holistic services for children and families through programs available at the two Buckner Family Hope Center® locations and for single parents and their families through Buckner Family Pathways®.

Shoes collected through drives hosted also impact children and families across other vulnerable communities in Texas and in countries such as the Dominican Republic, Guatemala, Honduras, Kenya, Mexico and Peru.
 
“Many of us take shoes for granted. But it’s important to understand that for many children around the world, they are a luxury, " shared Shawn Spurrier, director of Buckner Shoes. "Shoes protect feet from diseases and injury and help remove barriers that prevent children from attending school."
 
Typically when a child’s attendance is higher in school, they increase their chances of rising out of poverty and obtaining an education, Spurrier added.
 
Since 1999, Buckner has collected and distributed more than 5 million pairs of new shoes to children in more than 80 countries.
 
Shoe donations would not be possible without the generous volunteers who promote, organize, collect and sort the shoes. They also prepare the shoes for departure. Shoes are paired and tied together and then volunteers write notes of God’s love to tuck inside each pair.
 
What’s special about volunteering for a shoe drive is that any age can help, including children.

Are you interested in impacting a vulnerable child with the simple gift of shoes? Host your own shoe drive or Birthday Club party today.