On June 1, members of Presbyterian Church of Western Springs showed their solidarity by shedding their shoes. Congregants left the shoes they wore to church in honor of Barefoot Sunday, sponsored by Soles4Souls.

A footwear charity based in Nashville, Soles4Souls collects new and used shoes and donates them to individuals in need around the world.

“They began after the Asian tsunami in 2004,” said Associate Pastor Tom Brown.

Since that time, he said, the nonprofit has donated shoes internationally and domestically in the wake of Hurricanes Katrina and Rita. Soles4Souls works through churches, schools and other organizations, as well as retailers and shoe manufacturers.

The idea to participate in Barefoot Sunday came from Presbyterian Church’s Youth Group, comprised of children ages 14 to 18. The group was responsible for conducting a Sunday morning service, reflecting the theme of God’s footprints.

“The kids decided it would be great to have a shoe drive,” Brown said.

“We worked together to coordinate the event,” Brown said. “We did announcements, that type of thing, and collected shoes,” over the period of several weeks.

On June 1, congregants were encouraged to wear shoes that they were willing to give away and leave them at the door.

“It showed their solidarity with the millions of people around the world that have to go barefoot every day,” Brown said. “We had many, many pairs of shoes – work boots, gym shoes, adults’ and kids’ shoes and flip-flops.”

Soles4Souls takes all kinds of shoes and “finds places to distribute them,” Brown said. “There were piles of shoes. At the north exit, there was a pile and an even larger pile (sat) in the main entryway. It was really neat to see.”

In all, more than 450 pairs of shoes were donated. On June 24, the shoes were packaged in 10 large cartons and sent to Soles4Souls.

“The kids were definitely into this,” Brown said. “It was completely their idea, not mine at all.

“It’s totally reflective of our congregation. We really look for ways to make a difference in people’s lives, and so it was a natural thing for them to come up with this idea … It’s kind of just a natural outpouring of their faith. The kids want to make a difference in the world.”

For further information, visit www.soles4souls.org.

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