Soles4Souls Donates Shoes

Soles4Souls is a nonprofit organization that is dedicated to providing shoes to people that are in need of footwear. The mission of this organization is simple; they get shoes and give them to those in need.

After the disasters of the 2000’s, the founderv of Soles4Souls felt a desire to give back and to help those in need.vHe began this mission in front of his TV watching a shoe wash up on the beach after the tsunami in Asia in 2004.

Inspired by the event, the owner called up the other manufacturers of footwear and together they donated a quarter of a million shoes to the needy. Later on when Katrina devastated the United States, the same group got together and has sent over av million pairs of shoes to the Gulf Coast communities to assist those in need of footwear.

In the aftermath of the generous outpouring of donation, Soles4Soulsb was born. In short, the organization is changing the world, one pair of shoes at a time. Large donations from industry manufacturers, retail, churches and other groups realized the potential for this ministry. Soles4Souls acts as the intermediary between the generous providers of the footwear and those in need of shoes.

Other fundraisers also play a part in the donation of shoes for this cause. Recently, one such event – known as the Naked Foot 5k. The Naked Foot run is a run that is about not wearing shoes and running free and unbound by footwear. Running barefoot is very therapeutic as long as you are safe with the run and have taken the proper precautions.

It is a very popular fundraiser and folks are allowed to have fun while helping a worthy cause. The premise is that the race is a fun completion and lets you do your run while having fun like a kid on the beach.The Naked Foot run joined forces with Soles4Souls because the Naked Foot Run is the perfect venue to get rid of all the older shoes that a runner needs or wants to donate.

The founders have established tips and tricks to make minimalistic or Naked Foot running save and enjoyable. The founders are exercise physiologists and are trained to help folks enjoy barefoot running. Joining a running group can provide you with the perfect opportunity to have fun and to help others by donating old footwear to a good cause.

Runner with Multiple Sclerosis Encourages Everyone, Source:REUTERS

Patrick Finney has accomplished what almost no one else has ever done, he successfully ran 50 marathons in 50 states. This is an incredible feat for anyone to complete but the fact that Finney is also struggling with and fighting against multiple sclerosis makes the entire thing even more inspiring. Just under 4 years ago Finney decided that he wanted to run a marathon in each state and he has finally completed that goal.

Finney has struggled with multiple sclerosis since the late 1990s when he was originally diagnosed and through constant and repetitive training he eventually managed to start overcoming the debilitating disease. Through years of training Finney eventually got back into the shape he was originally in so that he could successfully complete a marathon and this is when he had the idea to run a marathon in every state.

Finney successfully completed his challenge last weekend when he ran his 50th marathon in Seattle. The fact that anyone was able to complete 50 marathons in under 4 years is astonishing to many experts in the running field and the fact that a multiple sclerosis patient managed to run 50 marathons is even most astonishing. In the end Finney was simply trying to raise awareness for multiple sclerosis and all of the positive media attention he has received has definitely done just that. Congratulations to Patrick Finney for being able to overcome such a powerful medial issue by accomplishing something so rare and so difficult.