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The Vacation Bible School mission classes at Harmony Baptist Church collected new and used shoes for three nights this summer and sent the donations to Soles4Souls.

Founded by Wayne Elsey in 2006, Soles4Souls is a non-profit organization headquartered in Nashville, Tennessee. The non-profit organization receives shoe and clothing donations from individuals, community donations, and retailers and distributes these items to programs around the world. Soles4Souls acquired a similar non-profit called Dignity U Wear in 2017.

“Our classes made donations to Soles4Souls because it was a part of the Make Waves program VBS is doing. For every Vacation Bible School, a part of the curriculum is having a missions class. We usually collect something for a mission project the kids can be involved in and give to organizations like Pilots for Christ and Sav-a-Life. This year, part of the Make Waves program was collecting shoes. I found it to be a worthy cause and something the kids could be involved in,” Harmony Baptist Church Missions Leader William Blocker said.

Students were able to see how children and their families around the world are not as fortunate as others through this experience.

“They got to understand how we are at such an advantage here and blessed with fresh water, clothes, and shoes. A lot of people around the United States and in other countries don’t have something as simple as shoes, and we take them for granted. The students were able to take something they no longer have like old shoes and donate them to a good cause rather than throwing them away. They were able to give them to someone else to recycle and reuse them. They find uses for things we would normally throw away.”

As of 2020, Soles4Souls has distributed 50 million pairs of shoes or items of clothing in 129 countries.

“It was a real joy to be able to pass this blessing on to another organization. This company has come to assist with shipping costs. Different organizations have come along Soles4Souls to provide shoes at no cost to people who are victims of weather, storms, or other problems. It’s pretty neat to see how people from all over the country and the world come together to help others. We were glad to be a part of it and help the kids see that as well,” he said.

Harmony Baptist Church is located at 20932 County Road 70 outside of Andalusia. For more information call 334-222-8117.