Shoe Collection Drive — A Last-Minute Request for Help!

Ok, Pensacola friends! I need some help, and I don't know why it hadn't occurred to me before to ask you all. This is extremely last-minute, so I understand if you aren't able to help out.

The school I work at is holding a Used Shoe Collection/Drive through Tuesday of this week. The teacher coordinating the event volunteers for an organization that distributes used-but-useable shoes to needy families as well as trying to help supply them to people around the world affected by poverty and natural disasters.

The homeroom class that collects the most pairs of useable shoes will win a pizza party.

Most of you know that I am a teacher's assistant working with ESE/Special Needs kids. Our homerrom is 14 students, half the size of the other homeroom classes in the school. More than half of our 14 students come from very-low-income families themselves. These factors usually put us was behind when it comes to making a difference through Collection Drives like this one, or the one for the Manna Food Bank that was held before Thanksgiving.

I fully understand that the purpose of this event is to help the less fortunate, but I also know the good that would be done for these ESE kids (who never win anything and are often picked on by "normal" kids) to WIN something! I'm speding the weekend going through my shoes, sorting out most of them to be given away. Since becoming a mother, my wardrobe has changed, and many of my shoes have been neatly tucked away, unseen, under my bed for over 2 years now. I'm keeping the ones I wear regularly and the few with sentimental value, but the rest are going to the donation at work.

If any of you have any used-but-useable shoes you'd be willing to donate, please let me know. I can pick them up from you tomorrow (Sunday) or possibly Monday evening afer work. Or if you're going to be in the Michigan Avenue area and would like to drop them by the house, that would be great too, and I'll happily send you the address!

Any size and style of shoe is fine, as well as shoes for all ages and genders. All that matter is that they still be in useable condidtion.

Thanks to anyone who can help!


Update:  We won!  Our class won with a total of 130 pairs of shoes, thanks in part to some of you!  The 2nd place class collected 42 pairs of shoes, slightly less than a third of what we had.  Thanks so much to anyone who contributed!