Nike Reuse-a-Shoe
Soles4Souls
When I opened my store Joshua's Treasures in 2009, it was initially to clear out some of my son's nearly-new items as we were in the process of downsizing due to an unfortunate change in our family status and to assist us by providing a few extra dollars for our changing family. The one thing I was adamant about was giving a portion of every sale to charity and still am today.
Since we have just started a new year and as the Pope has declared this year, The Year of Mercy, I've been giving much thought to different ways I can give back, help others and live the way we are all called to live. In going through the inventory in my store and looking at the items that have been for sale for awhile coming up with creative ideas to help others I came across Nike Reuse-a-Shoe and Soles4Souls. I plan to donate the shoes shown above by January 31st, if they do not sell through my store Joshua's Treasures to these causes and have started collecting used tennis shoes from family and friends as well. Nike accepts tennis shoes of any brand that have met the end of their life and are beyond "gently worn" and turns them into a recycled product known as Nike Grind. This product is then used to make tracks, indoor basketball courts, fields and playgrounds. If you are looking for a unique way to "get rid of" or share your old tennis shoes, you can drop them off at a participating Nike store or mail them here. Doing this gives back in so many ways. Not only does it help you to rid yourself of your no longer used tennis shoes, it also provides new athletic equipment and helps the environment which is something that affects all of us.
If your shoes still have some "life" left why not donate them to Soles4Souls? Their tagline "Saving the world - one pair at a time." This organization takes your tired but "gently worn" sneakers and finds needy feet to fill them. Find a drop off location or host a shoe drive to collect a whole bunch to mail in at once.
