You want to help the earthquake victims in Haiti, but you don’t have the funds to write a check.  Here’s an option.  Soles4Souls.

I learned about an organization called “Soles4Souls” a couple of years ago, and the recent devastation in Haiti brought it to mind again.   Soles4Souls donates millions of shoes around the world to people in need.

Wayne Elsey is the founder and CEO of the organization.  A shoe company executive, Elsey was at home watching news coverage of the tsunami that hit Southeast Asia, and saw a picture of a single shoe washing up on the beach.  He made a few phone calls to other executives in the footwear industry and subsequently received enough donated shoes for a quarter- million victims in the devastated countries.  And as they say – the rest is history.  Soles4Souls continues to save the world one pair at a time.

The Soles4Souls web site states, “Footwear – it is a basic need that most of us take for granted every day. While most of the world does not have one adequate pairs of shoes, Americans have an abundance of footwear sitting idle in our closets. Your consideration of simply cleaning out your closets can make a significant difference in the quality of life of someone in need.”

Elsey’s passion for this organization, which he now runs full-time, is obvious.  He told me, “I have seen children in the U.S. with their toes cut out of their shoes because they were too small and mom could not get a new pair.  Duck tape on shoes, etc.  There is no reason for this.”

So if you are looking for ways your small business can help the earthquake survivors in Haiti, consider a shoe drive for the Soles 4 Souls organization.  You can make a difference.