The 2007 Shoes for the Shoeless campaign has set its sights on collecting 11,000 pairs of shoes from Capital District residents for those in need in Appalachia.
Gail Leonardo Sundling, campaign coordinator and owner of The Delmar Bootery in Stuyvesant Plaza, Guilderland, said in a press release that an estimated 100,000 pairs of wearable shoes are gathering dust in the bottom of people’s closets.
These shoes could be used to help families in need around the nation, Sundling said.
Last year the Shoes for the Shoeless campaign collected 10,913 pairs of shoes.
The annual shoe campaign, now in its 12th year, has collected more than 72,000 pairs of shoes since its inception, and it could not have been possible without the generosity of donors or the help of volunteers, Sundling said.
Sundling said she started the campaign from a nationwide shoe drive with the Shoe Service Institute of America in 1995.
`I asked myself, ‘What do we do with all the shoes that had remained on the shelves that were not picked up after being repaired?’` she said. `I decided why not open it up to the public. There are all these shoes in everyone’s closets that are mostly wearable, and we will collect them.`
Sundling said she has used several organizations throughout the years to distribute the shoes to the needy, the first few years being The Adventist Community Service, which works in conjunction with The Red Cross. They took the shoes and distributed them to the homeless in New York City.
Others have also helped throughout the years.
`We had a pastor who drove from Oklahoma, picked up our shoes and brought them back to the Indian reservations,` she said.
For the past few years, Sundling has worked with Albert O’Neill Jr., who comes up from Delaware to load up the shoes to be distributed to needy communities in Virginia, Kentucky, Ohio and West Virginia. O’Neill does the journey at his own expense, but Sundling said her organization helps him with gas money.
O’Neill, a Delaware Lions Club member, picks up the shoes at a donated storage room at Stuyvesant Plaza, where local Lions Club volunteers pack up his trailer for the long ride.
Sundling said O’Neill made two trips with his trailer last year.
He distributes the shoes to five different churches in Appalachia, which then distribute them to the people in need.
`Within a week they are gone,` Sundling said.
Thomas Kearns, who does advertising for The Delmar Bootery, spoke highly of O’Neill, saying he has volunteered many years with Shoes for the Shoeless and other charities.
`He is a good friend of mine,` said Kearns.
Hundreds of hours are spent preparing the shoes to go, Sundling said.
She said one thing that makes the volunteers’ job very difficult is when people just throw old shoes into bags.
`What we really need them to do is to look at them first to make sure they are wearable,` she said. `I’ve had shoes that were mildewed or had holes in them, and I would not let a dog wear them.`
Sundling said people who would like to donate their shoes should tie the shoes together (if they have laces) and rubber band them heel-to-toe. It takes up the least amount of space in the boxes, she said.
`If they have a large amount of shoes, they can put them in a large box and mark how many are in it. That would literally save us days and days and days of work,` she said.
Sundling said all the effort of collecting and distributing is worth it.
`We need people to have clothing, food and shelter here in this country. We should do our share here,` Sundling said. `We should do more to help.`
The 2007 Shoes for the Shoeless campaign runs until Thursday, Nov. 15.
People can drop by The Delmar Bootery in Stuyvesant Plaza to donate wearable shoes for those in need.“