Shoe Drive to Raise Money For Holocaust Education

From Troy Community Consolidated School District 30-C:

Troy Middle School is conducting a shoe drive for new or gently worn shoes to raise funds for its eighth-grade Holocaust education program. The shoe drive’s community drop-off day is April 22 from 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. at Door 6 on the east side of Troy Middle School, 5800 W. Theodore St.

Through the social enterprise company funds2orgs, TMS will earn money based on the number of pairs of shoes collected. Those dollars will be used to fund a school visit by a survivor speaker from the Illinois Holocaust Museum.

The donated shoes will then be redistributed to a network of partners in developing nations. Funds2orgs helps impoverished people start, maintain and grow businesses in Central America and Africa. Proceeds from the shoe sales are used to feed, clothe and house families. One budding entrepreneur in Haiti reportedly even earned enough to send to her son to law school.

“We are excited about our shoe drive," said Etta Sklar, the seventh-grade TMS student spearheading the initiative. "We know that most people have extra shoes in their closets they would like to donate to us and help those less fortunate become self-sufficient. It’s a win-win for everyone.”

By donating shoes to Troy Middle School, Sklar said, donors will also be making a difference in the lives of people in developing nations, and will be creating a unique opportunity for Troy students to learn about the Holocaust from a survivor.

For more information, contact Troy Middle School at 815-230-9920.

image via OK Clipart