Good Feet Store, Christian Storehouse sponsor shoe drive
The upcoming holiday season is the time of year marked by kindness and generosity. In that spirit, two local Millsboro companies are working together to help residents and visitors who want to help those who are less fortunate.
The Share Your Soles for Christmas Shoe Drive for Children will be held this year beginning Monday, Nov. 14, according to Tom and Jean Sullivan, owners of the Good Feet Store in Millsboro, who started the charitable program eight years ago.
The Sullivans are joined by Steven Smith of the Christian Storehouse in Millsboro to encourage area residents to contribute children's shoes that are no longer needed and are in very good condition.
"Both the Good Feet Store and the Christian Storehouse in Millsboro are seeking new and gently used children's shoes of all kinds and all sizes for our Share Your Soles for Christmas Shoe Drive that begins Nov. 14," Tom Sullivan said. "This year, shoe donations will be accepted at the Christian Storehouse in Millsboro at 149 Mitchell St. from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., Mondays through Saturdays.
The Share Your Soles began as part of the local Good Feet Store's outreach program to give back to the communities they serve. The Christian Storehouse has been the recipient of many of the donated shoes from Christmas shoe drives in the past and is now the only drop-off point for this year’s shoe donations.
The most needed shoes are sizes and styles that are most often used by children up to the age of 15. Those who wish to donate are asked to tie or buckle shoes together. Contributions of new shoes can be left in their original packing box and should not be wrapped in holiday gift paper.
Jean said most Americans take shoes for granted, but some children in our area need new ones.
"Many of our children have shoes for every occasion," Jean said. "We are aware that there may be a number of children living in our communities who only have one pair of shoes and of other children who have only one pair that are falling off their feet."
The goal of the drive is to help meet the shoe needs of children without proper shoes who live in our local communities, she said. "We want to be able to 'put wings on the feet' of children in need for Christmas."
"Each year has brought us a high level of donations. Both Tom and I were also impressed with the high quality of the shoes donated over the years," Jean said. "In fact, almost one-half of the shoes donated to us were either brand new or virtually brand new."
The Christian Storehouse is a Better Business Bureau-accredited nonprofit organization that supports services to the public. Located next to the Town Hall in Millsboro, the Christian Storehouse has an emergency food pantry, a 7,000-square-foot thrift shop and a resource center. For more information or to volunteer, call the Christian Storehouse at 302-934-8151.
To get to the Christian Storehouse from north on Route 113, turn right at the Dunkin’ Donut shop onto Old Landing Road just before the intersection with Route 24. Go 2.5 blocks to the stop sign and turn left onto Mitchell Street. The Christian Storehouse is a large fenced property with sign and is next to the Millsboro Civic Center/Town Offices/Chamber of Commerce building.
For information on products or services at the Good Feet Store, call 302-934-7600. The Millsboro location is on Route 113 at 28544 DuPont Blvd. in the Food Lion Shopping Center.
