Jewish Hospital & St. Mary’s HealthCare and 11 other health care providers in Metro Louisville and Southern Indiana are partnering with two area humanitarian, faith-based organizations – EDGE OUTREACH and Shoeman Water Projects – on a communitywide shoe donation drive that will also help create safe, clean drinking water for those in need in developing countries around the world.
The shoe collection will take place on Saturday, October 2, from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. at 15 collection sites throughout Metro Louisville and Southern Indiana. The only stipulations regarding the shoes are that they must be mildew- and mold-free, and the soles and upper parts of the shoes need to be intact. Donors should tie or rubber-band the pairs together and bring them to one of the drop-off locations, which include the Frazier International History Museum, the Louisville Zoo, Mall St. Matthews, Papa John’s Cardinal Stadium and the Summit.
The donated shoes are resold to provide affordable footwear for people in developing countries or are recycled into other products. The funds generated by the sales help provide well-drilling rigs, water purification systems, hand-pump repair and water-related supplies to bring safe, clean drinking water to those who thirst in developing countries such as Haiti, Kenya, India, Dominican Republic, Costa Rica and others.
Eighty percent of sickness and disease in developing countries is caused by unsafe water, and every 20 seconds a child dies from drinking the unclean water – 1.8 million children are lost each year.
JHSMH is proud to be a part of this effort and encourages members of the community to donate shoes and volunteer to be a part of this worthy effort.
If you would like to volunteer at the JHSMH collection site at the Louisville Zoo bus parking lot, please contact Chris Brown at 569-0711.
For more information and a complete list of collection sites, visit www.edgeoutreach.com.