Shoe fundraiser benefits Little Hawks Childcare Center
/On the other foot
IKM-Manning school children climb on top of the bags of shoes in a corner of the old cafeteria at the Manilla school building, to demonstrate just how many shoes have been collected in a fundraiser for Little Hawks Childcare Center. As of Tuesday, 2,500 pairs of shoes had been collected. People can donate shoes through April 15. Photos by Gordon Wolf
In the case of a fundraiser for Little Hawks Childcare Center in Manilla, the shoe is on the other foot, literally.
Pat Palmer and her sister, Ann Lockwood, are spearheading a shoe collection drive with the money targeted for a floor scrubber for the childcare center.
As of Tuesday, 2,500 pairs of shoes had been collected, separated into 100 bags of 25 pairs per bag.
Jayden Wax, a grandson of Pat Palmer, peers over the pile of shoes.
Palmer and Lockwood are working with Funds2Orgs (funds2orgs.com), the nation’s largest shoe drive fundraising company.
The fundraiser in Manilla will receive 40 cents per pound of shoes from Funds2Orgs.
The Funds2Orgs website says the shoes collected will become “an economic lifeline for individuals and families living in developing nations. Due to systemic poverty, lack of education, and economic opportunity, Funds2Orgs works with individuals who create micro-businesses, essentially small businesses.”
Funds2Orgs, based in Florida, says it has micro-enterprise partners in 26 nations.
The shoe drive began on February 1 and originally was to end on April 1, but Palmer said the drive has been extended until April 15 as Funds2Orgs won’t pick up the shoes for another 30 to 45 days.
People can donate shoes that are worn but not worn out, or new shoes.
One day a drive-up shoe drive took place. Kids who volunteered would go to the cars to collect the shoes.
Palmer said people in the past have called her or Lockwood to have their shoes picked up. They can continue to do that.
“People drop them off at our houses, also,” said Lockwood.
Manilla City Hall and many businesses in Manilla have and continue to serve as drop-off points.
The shoe drive has extended beyond Manilla to other towns in Crawford County and neighboring counties.
And in Maryville, Missouri, where Lockwood used to live, a school classroom collected 500 pairs of shoes as a project.
People who want more information or have shoes to donate can call Palmer at 712-269-4217 or Lockwood at 712-269-7709.
Shoes are placed in bags with 25 pairs per bag.
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