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Cleveland, TN
Buckner Shoes for the Orphan Souls®, the largest humanitarian aid project of Buckner International, provides new shoes and socks to orphans and vulnerable children in the United States and throughout the world.
When you donate new shoes through Buckner, they will be received by one of the world’s most vulnerable children. And while Shoes for Orphan Souls serves children all over the world, 30 percent of our shoes stay in the United States, offering hope to children in communities just like yours. Since 1999, Buckner has distributed more than 3 million pairs of new shoes and socks to children in 82 countries.
New shoes put children on a path to:
Shoes protect against disease and infection. In many developing countries, children walk barefoot in muddy, rocky terrain to gather clean water or go to school. Parasites and diseases, including hookworm, jiggers and tetanus, can enter the body through cuts in the feet. These illnesses can stunt a child’s growth and development, as well as cause lifelong mental damage.
Shoes lower barriers to school attendance. Many schools around the world require children to wear shoes to attend, but for many poverty-stricken families, shoes are a luxury they cannot afford. Studies also show that children who are healthy are more likely to be successful in school and have higher attendance, increasing their chances of obtaining an education and rising out of poverty.
Shoes demonstrate worth and God’s love to orphans and vulnerable children. Typically, children in orphanages share everything —they do not have a single possession of their own. New shoes provide hope for these children that someone out there cares about them and loves them unconditionally.
Shoes connect families to holistic ministry. For many families, receiving shoes is often the first step to connect them to critical services, ministry and mentoring at the Buckner Family Hope Centers in their communities. Hope Center staff help families make plans for transformation and walk alongside them as their lives are transformed.
Why new shoes? New shoes last longer, and as a gift to a child with few possessions, they communicate volumes about his or her inherent worth. Simply put, we think the children we serve are worth it.
