Shoes for Orphan Souls, a ministry of Buckner International, has distributed more than 1.5 million pairs of new shoes to at-risk children in the United States and to orphans in 55 countries around the world. While our program has made a difference in many lives, there are still millions of children we can reach – all through a pair of shoes. We are seeking donations of new shoes, socks and shoelaces from individuals, corporations, churches and civic groups.
Background
Shoes for Orphan Souls began as Shoes for Russian Souls in 1995 by KCBI radio in Dallas, Texas. Buckner International assumed leadership of the program in 1999 and changed the name to reflect our world-wide reach. Established in 1879, Buckner been working to improve the lives of children by providing humanitarian aid, transitional living and foster care services, domestic and international adoption, and support programs for children living in orphanages around the world.
The Need
According to The State of the World’s Children as reported by Unicef, there are 143 million orphans around the world. Orphanages do not receive enough funding to support the children in their care. One of the greatest and most immediate needs is a pair of shoes. Many of the children receive one pair of shoes to last the entire year, and some don’t have shoes at all.
Get Involved
There are several ways you can help:
- Donate a new pair of shoes and/or socks
- Organize a shoe drive in your work place, church or civic club
- Make a cash contribution, to help underwrite international shipping cost
- Help distribute shoes by traveling, with other volunteers, to China, Guatemala, Kenya, Latvia, Peru, Romania or Russia
Our Reach
Shoes for Orphan Souls continues to grow and expand its scope. We receive shoes from all 50 states, then distribute them to children in the United States as well as in Afghanistan, Albania, Argentina, Belize, Belarus, Botswana, Brazil, Bulgaria, Cambodia, Chechnya, China, Croatia, Columbia, Cuba, Djibouti, Dominican Republic, Ecuador, Ethiopia, Egypt, El Salvador, Ghana, Granada, Guyana, Guatemala, Haiti, Honduras, India, Iraq, Israel, Jamaica, Jordan, Kazakhstan, Kenya, Kosovo, Latvia, Lithuania, Mexico, Moldova, Mozambique, Nicaragua, Nigeria, Panama, Peru, Philippines, Republic of Georgia, Romania, Russia, South Africa, Sudan, Tajikistan, Uganda, Ukraine, Venezuela, Zambia and Zimbabwe
