Members of Phi Alpha Theta and the UALR Department of History will be collecting shoes for Soles4Souls, the international shoe charity.

“People who wish to donate shoes should look for the Soles4Souls RV on the UALR campus Tuesday and Wednesday, Oct. 9 and 10,” said Dr. Barclay Key of the History Department, who is helping coordinate the drive. “The RV will be located in Lot 13 at the Jack Stephens Center.”

He also is organizing a chapter of Soles4Souls. Anyone interested in participating can attend an organizational meeting at 3 p.m. Tuesday, Oct. 9, in Room 407 of Stabler Hall.

Americans throw out 700 million pairs of shoes each year. By recycling gently worn shoes, the discarded footwear can be redistributed through the charity’s international and domestic partners to millions of children and adults who need them.

Soles4Souls has distributed more than 19 million pairs of shoes around the world with the help of partners like Phi Alpha Theta and the UALR History Department.

“With one in four adults in the world living in extreme poverty, basic necessities like shoes are simply unavailable,” said Elizabeth Kirk, director of communications for Soles4Souls Inc. “In developing nations like Haiti, Honduras, and Tanzania, walking is the main form of transportation, and shoes can protect a person’s feet from cuts and infections. Also, children in other parts of the world cannot attend school without a pair of shoes.”

The collection efforts also keep footwear out of landfills.

For more information on how to get involved and donate, visit www.giveshoes.org.