Cape Girardeau, Missouri - Last month’s collection netted 6,125 pairs of shoes donated to Soles4Souls during the shoe collection drive spearheaded March 27-29 by Southeast Missouri State University.

Soles4Souls is a global not-for-profit institution dedicated to eradicating the impact and spread of poverty. This mission is serviced by collecting donated shoes and clothing and then distributing those items via direct donations to people in need and by assisting micro-enterprise program efforts in creating jobs in lower-income and disadvantaged communities.

“More than 70 students, from Soles4Souls On Campus, all the Agriculture Department student organizations, Gamma Sigma Sigma, and several international students spent many hours preparing shoes for shipment, assembling cartons and loading them onto a 53-foot-long trailer,” said Cheryl Reinagel, Soles4Souls advisor and administrative assistant in the Department of Agriculture. “Bringing students together to serve gives them a chance to make a difference on campus, in the community, and in our world.”

Soles4Souls on Campus in partnership with the Baptist Student Center held the drive with on-campus drop-off locations in the Department of Agriculture office and in the Baptist Student Center. Additional drop-off locations were held at St. Andrew’s Lutheran Church and Marcy’s Planet Shoes.

“This is the first year the Baptist Student Center has partnered with Soles4Souls on Campus.  Having two locations, on the campus, has helped us engage more students to serve together,” said Reinagel.

The shoes raised during the collection will further the purpose of Soles4Souls in all 50 states and aboard.