How Shoes Are Handled After a Shoe Drive
Have you recently organized a shoe drive? On the other hand, you might just be considering organizing one and wondering what it’s all about. Whatever has sparked your interest in a shoe drive then it’s worth understanding what goes on.
Why a Shoe Drive?
There are many fundraising opportunities that you could follow that involve more or less work. Some of these activities can be large endeavors though so make sure you know what you’re signing up for. Nevertheless, don’t forget that a shoe drive is easy to organize, an enormous amount of fun, and has some amazing benefits:
- Raise money
- Give back
- Declutter
- Save the environment
Raise Money
The good thing about a shoe drive is that you work with a company that collects the shoes. They essentially do the hard work after the shoe drive by making sure that those shoes go to where they’re needed the most. However, companies such as Angel Bins even go one step further. They actually give you money in exchange for the shoes you collect. In fact, you can expect $1 per pound of shoes. You can quickly do the math knowing that shoes weigh 2 pounds on average. What you then do with the money is entirely up to you because either way, you’ve helped support people in developing countries.
Give Back
The companies who collect all your old shoes distribute these to people in developing countries. These micro-entrepreneurs have small businesses that sell your old shoes in their towns or villages. This is a particularly excellent idea because you’re supporting people to help themselves rather than just handing out cash. Enabling small businesses is much more sustainable in the long-term.
Declutter
Everyone loves clearing their space once in a while. Many of us are hoarders and we all benefit from making space. That old saying “a tidy house, a tidy mind” is very true. In fact, it’s been shown that a messy space can increase our stress levels.
What better way to help people declutter than with a shoe drive? It’s a great motivator for people because you also sort out the logistics of removing their old shoes. You simply provide collection points as well as the shoe drive event itself.
Support the Environment
Imagine the impact you can make on the environment when you consider that 300 million pairs of shoes are thrown away every year, according to the US Department of the Interior. Not only do they fill up our landfills but they take about 30 to 40 years to decompose. What better way to delay this than by making sure you maximize their usage?
What you do After a Shoe Drive
Now that you’re convinced that a shoe drive is a way forward then you need to understand what happens afterward:
- Call your host
- Pack the shoes
Once your shoe drive is over and you’ve collected all the donated shoes then you can call your hosting company. Some will come and pick up your shoes within 24 hours, assuming you pack them first. Others will ask you to deliver the shoes to their site. Naturally, you should make sure you choose the right company for you before you organize your shoe drive.
Once you’ve agreed on how the company will get their shoes then you need to make sure that everything is packed up properly. Also, many have rules about what type of shoe they’ll take. For example, heels tend to be refused by most.
What your Supporting Company does After a Shoe Drive
- Some will pay you in exchange
- Donate and distribute
As mentioned, some companies will exchange money for your collected shoes. You’d be surprised how many pounds of shoes you can collect though if you count the number of families connected to your local schools, churches, gym clubs, amongst others.
The collecting company is then responsible for donating all your shoes to their micro-entrepreneurs in developing countries. If you’re interested, you might want to ask them more about this part of their work. Perhaps you can ask for personal stories as this might also help you when promoting your shoe drive.
Parting Words on What Happens to Shoes After a Shoe Drive
If you’ve ever wondered about the life of your shoes after you discard them then start organizing a shoe drive. Make sure you ask all your questions to the company you’ve decided to work with to support your shoe drive. They can explain their particular approach and process and how your shoes actually get out to the right people in developing countries.
When putting on a shoe drive, you might appreciate the thought that you’re delaying their trip to the landfill for a while longer. Although, the exciting part of a shoe drive is that you’re supporting people on the other side of the world. With a shoe drive, you help them find their own way to becoming independent. That’s the most incredible gift you can ever give someone.
