WORLD SHOE RELIEF

Where can those used (but still lively) athletic shoes go when they’re not quite up to running, but too good for the trash? World Shoe Relief, found by Don Hamer, is a non-profit organization that collects and rehabilitates used athletic shoes and distributes them to the homeless in Los Angeles and New York. Hamer cites the large supply, especially among runners, and the tremendous need among the less fortunate for quality footwear as reasons for founding the organization in December of 1988.

   The all volunteer organization generally receives shoe donations through the mail, but plans for collection bins in major cities are underway. They replace shoelaces, clean, and repair the shoes as needed before they are sent to qualified agencies for the homeless. Hamer and his staff insist that World Shoe Relief is here to stay. They even distributed thousands of leaflets at the Los Angeles Marathon, and donors receive a receipt for income tax purposes. So send your tired, (slightly) battered old athletic shoes, along with the size clearly indicated, to:

World Shoe Relief

P. O. Box 423

Trabuco Canyon, CA. 92678