Ellijay’s Hope Lutheran Church will continue to serve as a drop-off location for an international shoe drive benefiting orphaned and vulnerable children.
Donations can be left at the church, located at 3295 Old Highway 5 South, during August.
The Shoes for Orphan Souls drive, sponsored by Christian nonprofit Buckner International, serves children in more than 80 countries. Twenty percent of donated shoes and socks are usually given to underprivileged children in the United States, according to the organization’s webpage.
Since the donated footwear helps protect against diseases and infections in developing countries, athletic shoes and boots are the most-needed shoe drive items, noted Diana Barbato, a member of Ellijay Hope Lutheran who’s coordinated the church shoe collection effort the past 14 years.
Only new shoes can be donated, and donations of new socks and shoelaces are also gladly accepted, Barbato noted.
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 the good news, Jesus loves you,” Barbato said.
Since 1999, the Buckner organization has distributed more than 4 million pairs of new shoes and socks to unprivileged children in the U.S. and abroad.
A good community response has been given to past local shoe collections, and Barbato is proud that items donated in Ellijay were included in that total.
When the local drive is done, the donated items are taken to a Chattanooga, Tenn., Christian radio station. A freight company then takes them to Texas, where they await distribution by Buckner International.
Barbato welcomes any questions about shoe drive donations at 706-636-1911.