Self-storage operator Space Centre Storage of Kelowna, British Columbia, Canada, is partnering with Soles4Souls, an organization that collects new and used shoes and redistributes them to needy people in developing nations. The company is donating free use of four of its MI-BOX mobile-storage units and will act as a central collecting point for donations. Once the containers are full, they’ll be shipped to a national collection center in Toronto, then stored and distributed to people worldwide, according to a press release.
“We just want to help people. We want to become really involved here,” said Bob Laird, general manager of Space Centre. “We’re new to this. We’re going to have to all become involved. It’s an ongoing endeavor. We’ll support the program as it goes.”
Donations can be made during the facility’s business hours, Monday through Saturday, 8 a.m. to 8 p.m., and Sunday, 10 a.m. to 5 pm. The mobile-storage units are set up in front of the facility office.
“It could be used, new, high heels, soccer boots—any kind of footwear,” Laird said. “That’s one of the reasons they have a sorting center. There’s no sense in sending snow boots to Africa.”
Laird credits Kelowna resident Lesley Brydon for getting Space Centre involved in the Soles4Souls program. Brydon, whose family has been donating its excess footwear to the charity for the past several years, approached Laird with the idea of donating space. Brydon, a paralegal, originally intended to use her property as the collection point. However, she quickly realized it would be insufficient given the scale of the program, the release stated.
“She was looking for storage space. We were prepared to do more than that. Not only are we going to take drop-offs from Kelowna, we might get truckloads from anywhere in [British Columbia],” Laird said.
“They [Soles4Souls] needed someone to spearhead the collection, and I knew I could do this,” Brydon added. “Now we’re on this journey together. We both feel we have a need to give back to third-world countries.”
A self-confessed shoe admirer, Brydon said her new role as a Soles4Souls shoe ambassador is only fitting. She believes it’ll suit other people as well because it’s such a simple way to support a charitable organization. “It’s an easy way to give back. I am comfortable in this role, as I am not asking people for money. Everyone has old shoes they can get rid of,” she said.
Brydon has set up a Facebook page for Soles4Souls–Kelowna, and she plans on approaching local schools to see if they’ll organize shoe collections. Anyone who has a donation or wishes to host a donation box can contact her at 604.612.1649.
Brydon has also arranged for a MI-BOX to be on hand at the Ghoulish Gala, a Halloween-themed fundraising event for “Swinging with the Stars,” a benefit for the Central Okanagan Hospice Association. The Oct. 30 event will be at the Okanagan Mission Community Hall (aka The Red Barn) in Kelowna. Shoe donations will be accepted 11 a.m. to 11 p.m. Gala tickets can be purchased through Brydon.
Founded in 2006 in Nashville, Tenn., Soles4Souls has distributed more than 22 million pairs of shoes to people in need in more than 127 countries.
Founded in 1985, Space Centre Storage features self-storage, MI-BOX mobile-storage containers, moving supplies, mailboxes, and indoor and outdoor RV and boat storage. It also offers commercial lease space, mini-warehousing, and forklift and load docks for business customers.
