Ellijay Hope Lutheran Church is again collecting shoes, many of which will travel around the world to children in need.
The church, located at 3295 Old Highway 5 South, began its annual shoe drive July 31. The Shoes for Orphan Souls drive, which is a nationwide effort for Christian nonprofit Buckner International, will last until Aug. 28 at the church.
The entire shoe drive serves children in more than 80 countries, according to Buckner International. Twenty percent of donated shoes and socks are typically given to underprivileged children within the United States, also according to the organization.
The donated footwear helps protect against diseases and infections in developing and third-world countries, so athletic shoes, closed-toe shoes, boots and athletic socks are usually some of the most-needed shoe items, confirmed Diana Barbato, a member of Ellijay Hope Lutheran who’s coordinated the church shoe drive since it began 15 years ago.
Only new shoes and socks are accepted. Donations of new shoelaces are also gladly accepted. Most of the donated shoes go to school-aged children, so larger sizes for those age groups should be kept in mind, Barbato noted.
“(The children) receive something new, perhaps for the very first time,” she added.
Church members send each pair of boxed shoes out with a gift tag attached that says, “A gift for you from Hope Lutheran Church in Ellijay, Ga., United States of America.” “They’re given with good news — Jesus loves you,” Barbato said.
When the local collection effort wraps, the shoes will be taken to WMBW, a Christian radio station in Chattanooga, Tenn. A freight company will then take them to Texas, where they will await distribution by Buckner International.
“The radio station is the biggest contributor in the country (to the shoe drive),” Barbato said.
The shoes are delivered to children by short-term missionaries, Barbato noted.
“The missionaries have to get down and wash the feet of the child and fit the shoes on their feet,” she added. “They tell these children, with an interpreter if necessary, that Jesus loves them and that the shoes are a gift from people in the United States who love them.”
Shoe drive donations can be dropped off at Ellijay Hope Lutheran Church in a box that’s been put up near the church’s front entrance. Directions to the church are available at 706-636-HOPE.
Barbato welcomes any questions concerning the shoe drive at 706-636-1911.