Community Corner

Giving New Life to Old Shoes

A newly-founded Bucks County organization is collecting used shoes in Warminster to pass along to those in need.

They pile up in the back of your closet. They hang in heaps in your basement. They collect dust up in your attic. Now, you can do something with those old shoes and make someone’s day at the same time.

Re-use Your Shoes, a new effort founded by Bucks County resident Kevin Kane, is putting those unused shoes on feet that need them. The organization, which was started just this fall, has drop boxes for unwanted shoes throughout Bucks County, including Warminster.

Kane got the idea to start Re-use Your Shoes after cleaning out his garage one day in September. His wife, an avid runner who has completed numerous marathons, had several pairs of shoes that weren’t fit for a 26.2-mile endeavor but would be just fine for the average person.

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Instead of tossing those unused shoes in the garbage, Kane embarked on an effort to collect and pass them on to others who need them. Currently, Re-use Your Shoes has about 150 drop boxes throughout Bucks County. Each month, the organization – which is less than six months old – is giving new life to more than 6,000 pairs of shoes.

Re-use Your Shoes collects all types of shoes, including sneakers, dress shoes, and boots. Once collected, Kane and his team of six volunteers pass the shoes along to a handful of area organizations that aid people in need.

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Beneficiaries include the Bethesda Project, a men’s homeless shelter in Philadelphia, and the Laurel House, a sanctuary for female domestic abuse victims and their children located in Norristown.

Additionally, Libertae, a program that helps women transition to the work force after overcoming drug addiction, receives dress shoes so the women have appropriate attire to wear to job interviews.

Re-use Your Shoes accepts shoes in any condition. Shoes in good, wearable shape are passed along to be used immediately by people in need. But shoes that are deemed “beyond wearable” (holes, excessive dirtiness) are donated to Nike’s recycling program. Nike grids up the soles of sneakers to make a material used for playground bases, Kane explained.

There are a few Re-use Your Shoes drop boxes in Warminster, including one at the Villas at Five Ponds Clubhouse at the golf course and one at the in Center Point Place.

In addition to the drop boxes, volunteers from Re-use Your Shoes attend organized races to spread the word about their efforts. Kane said they attend the Bucks County Roadrunners Club Winter Series races held Sundays at Tyler Park.

There are many reasons to donate your old shoes instead of tossing them in the trash, Kane said. From an environmental standpoint, recycling shoes alleviates the strain on our landfills.

Plus, “there’s people that need them,” Kane said. “When I see a guy on Gerard Avenue ask me if I have any warm boots in December, and I give him a pair, it’s like I just gave him his Christmas present for the year.”

Kane said he believes his efforts are paying off for those in need. For example, women at Libertae have attire that will hopefully help them land a job. “It’s so rewarding. We’re helping them get back on their feet, literally, with shoes for interviewing.”

For more information about Re-use Your Shoes, visit www.reuseyourshoes.org.


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