Shoes sought for those in need

SOUTH PARIS — Oxford Comprehensive High School is taking part in the Soles4Souls campaign.

Every seven seconds, Soles4Souls Inc. gives away another pair of shoes to someone in need. The shoe charity has earned glowing endorsements from Hollywood stars and professional athletes, but the people that truly make the nonprofit organization effective are those who clean out their closets to personally drop off their "gently worn" shoes at a participating location, such as Oxford Hills Comprehensive High School.

For a limited time, Soles4Souls and Comprehensive Hills High School will be collecting your gently worn footwear and/or donations to ship the shoes to a person in need, whether they are victims of a natural disaster or subject to living in extreme poverty. It is estimated that Americans have 1.5 billion pairs of unused shoes lying in their closets. The charity can use each and every one of these pairs to make a tangible difference in someone's life.

"We can use the shoes taking up space in your closet to change the world one pair at a time," said Founder and CEO of Soles4Souls, Wayne Elsey. "We need our partners in South Paris to help us change the lives of more than 300 million children worldwide who do not own a pair of shoes. We are grateful to our partners who have helped us distribute 10 million pairs of shoes, but the need is greater than ever," he said.

Donate shoes at Oxford Hills Comprehensive High School from January 17 to February 18.

People and companies interested in donating can visit the organization's website at www.giveshoes.org.