‘Shoe Us the Love’: Saint Frances Animal Center raising funds by collecting shoes

GEORGETOWN, S.C. (WMBF) - Saint Frances Animal Center launched its “Shoe Us the Love” fundraiser collecting gently worn shoes to raise money not only for its animal center but to help those in need around the world.

The gently used donated shoes will be refurbished and sent to developing countries around the world.

The animal center will receive money in return for every pound of shoes they collect.

During last year’s shoe drive, the animal center collected 2,000 pairs of shoes, but this year, they are raising the bar and set their goal to collect 3,000 pairs of shoes.

“We all have old shoes lying around,” said Suzanne Roman the animal center’s Executive Director.

Baby shoes, boot, sandals, tennis shoes and dress shoes are all accepted as long as they are gently worn and do not have the heels broken off the soles or worn through.

Roman said donating your gently-used shoes is a cost-free way to get involved and help the center when they need it the most.

”It takes something that they may no longer need and turns it into something good for our animals. It’s been a difficult year for the shelter in terms of so many animals coming in that we need all the extra resources that we can get,” said Roman.

If they meet their goal, the center plans to buy a free-standing kennel.

Specifically, the kennel would be like a nursing ward for mama dogs and their puppies.

The animal center hopes they’ll have enough for a kennel that can house at least three dogs and their pups.

Gary Life, the animal center’s Manager for Community Outreach and Volunteer Services, said purchasing a free-standing kennel is just one of their plans in the works if they collect enough shoes.

“We always are looking to expand the medical services that we offer. We are looking to expand our space and our capacity. We just have so many services that we offer here, and we want to expand that so our community members have greater access to that,” said Life.

Life said they have collected fewer than 600 shoes so far.

You can drop off your shoes at any of these eight drop off locations in the South Strand:

· Georgetown Kraft Credit Union, Georgetown.

· Georgetown Kraft Credit Union, Pawleys Island

· Georgetown Kraft Credit Union, Andrews

· Get Carried Away, Pawleys Island

· Belk, Inlet Square Mall

· Belk, Georgetown

· Petco, Pawleys Island

· Saint Frances Animal Center, Georgetown

The animal center will collect shoes for the “Shoe Us the Love” shoe drive until October 31.

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