Annual Rotary Shoe Drive Collects Over 10,000 Pairs for Buckner Shoes for Orphan Souls

*Greg Broadbent and Mike Edwards load the Shoe Caravan with donations collected from the community. This image is of last year’s drive collection. Photo Courtney Cole*

The Buckner Shoes for Orphan Souls program is making an impact from the donations of Rotary Clubs all over Missouri, including Excelsior Springs. The program, which is the largest humanitarian aid project of Buckner International, has distributed over 4.85 million pairs of new shows and socks to children in over 80 countries.

Donating a new pair of shoes can make a significant difference in a child’s life. In many developing countries, children have to walk barefoot in muddy and rocky terrain to attend school or fetch clean water, which exposes them to diseases like hookworm, jiggers, and tetanus that can enter the body through cuts in the feet. A new pair of shoes can protect against disease and infection and put children on a path to health.

Shoes also play a vital role in education. Most schools require children to wear shoes to attend, but many families living in poverty cannot afford them. Studies show that higher attenddance in school increases children’s chances of obtaining an education and rising out of poverty. New shoes also provide hope and demonstrate worth and God’s love to vulnerable children, especially those living in orphanages who typically share everything.

Rotary Clubs in North Missouri, including the Excelsior Springs Rotary Club, have participate in the annual Buckner Shoes for Orphan Souls shoe drive for several years. Last week the Excelsior Springs Rotary Club’s shoe drive collected 49 pairs of new shoes, 429 pairs of socks, and a $400 monetary cash donation. This contributed to the total collected of 10,180 pairs of new shoes and over 12,000 pairs of socks collected for vulnerable children. The shoes and socks were donated by community members and organizations, such as the Excelsior Springs Chamber of Commerce and Excelsior Springs Job Corps Center. Donations will be shipped to nonprofit Buckner International for distribution in countries like Guatemala and the Dominican Republic.

Thanks to the generosity of donors, children living in orphanages and impoverished communities will have the opportunity to attend school, stay healthy, and feel valued and loved. Buckner Shoes for Orphan Souls is a reminder that even small donations can make a significant difference in the lives of those in need.

For more information on the Excelsior Springs Rotary and how to get involved, see their Facebook Page. Meetings are every Thursday at the Excelsior Springs Hospital from Noon-1:00pm.