AFGT wants your old shoes – yep, even the worst ones

Published 11:54 pm Thursday, March 13, 2014

0314-bottleshoes2

Bring your dirty shoes, your too-tight shoes, even your teenage son’s smelly tennis shoes. Whatever shoes you’d like to be rid of, Andalusia Full Gospel Tabernacle would like to have them.

Mindy Hunt said the church has partnered with Soles4Souls to collect old shoes to be recycled and/or redistributed in impoverished nations.

“We like this outreach, because we have people tell us they can’t give us money,” she said. “But most everybody has some old shoes.”

The church has set a goal of collecting 10,000 pairs in 90 days.

“Soles4Souls reuses what they can, and recycles those that are beyond repair,” Hunt said.

Soles4Souls receives millions of articles of used shoes and clothing that have been collected by individuals, schools, faith-based institutions, civic organizations and corporate partners, according to its web site. The items are sorted in its national warehouse system, and Soles4Souls sells the used and allowed new shoes and clothing to carefully selected micro-enterprise organizations. These private and non-profit companies in turn provide shipping, financing, inventory, training and other support to ultra-small businesses in countries like Haiti where there are virtually no jobs to generate personal income.

According to its web site, Soles4Souls supports orphanages, homeless shelters, domestic abuse shelters, Appalachia mountains region, inner city hospitals, including one in Birmingham, Ala.

AFGT will receive some funds for the shoes it collects, and those proceeds will go to its Vacation Bible School and its missions program, which sponsors missionaries in Africa.

Shoes can be dropped off at AFGT, located on Hwy. 55, or in drop boxes at the following locations:

• Guardian Angel Christian Daycare

• Tom Rider’s office

• Salon Utopia

• Soap Opera

• Pack N Ship

• Brooks Hardware

• Gitty Up N Go (location near Walmart)

• Dr. McCalman’s office

• Carolina Mill Works

• Service Agency Insurance in Opp

As well, members of the youth group will pick up shoes from individuals on May 14. Those who would like to have pick-up service are asked to call AFGT at 222-8356.