More than 20,000 pairs of donated shoes were hauled out of a shipping container in St. Davids last Saturday, marking the end of a months-long community effort that will help families overseas build new lives.
Soles4Souls Canada and the St. Davids Lions Club collected the shoes from across Niagara, filling a 40-foot container that was emptied and reloaded into a trailer bound for Toronto.
The shoes will be distributed to countries in the Caribbean, Central America and South America, keeping them out of landfills while providing women with inventory for small businesses that sustain families.
The collection effort began in February, with Lions Clubs across District A2 pitching in. The Grimsby Lions gathered about 8,500 pairs on their own, while the Long Point Lions contributed more than 2,500.
Smaller clubs across the district added thousands more, eventually filling the container with 20,000 pairs of gently used shoes.
“For me, it’s important because this isn’t just about shoes. It’s about dignity, and about giving families a way to create stability in their lives,” said Louise Agnew, District Governor for Lions Clubs District A2 and partner with Soles4Souls Canada.
After being loaded by 15 Lions Club volunteers, the trailer headed to Toronto to be weighed before Soles4Souls Canada oversees distribution abroad. The donations will reach families through micro-enterprise programs in countries including Haiti, Uruguay and Guatemala.
Susan Snider, president of the St. Davids Lions Club, said hosting the container showed the strength of local service. She described how her club’s Quonset hut overflowed with donations before the 40-foot container was provided as storage.
“At first it was overwhelming, but the support from our Lions in this district is phenomenal,” said Snider. “To see 20,000 pairs of shoes come through here, you realize how much people care.”
Snider added that the Lions need more members to keep efforts like this going, particularly younger people who can help sustain the service work into the future.
Community members can still drop off shoes at 23 barrel locations across Niagara. A full list of sites is available through the Soles4Souls Canada website.
