24 Apr Week Three of National Footwear Cares Month Finishes with a Flourish
National Footwear Cares Month continued to attract volunteers from coast-to-coast as this industry-wide, national community service campaign completed week three of an unprecedented 30-day effort to lend a helping hand to local charities across the US.
The brainchild of Two Ten Footwear Foundation, the shoe industry’s national charitable organization celebrating its 75th year, National Footwear Cares Month is the first-ever, month-long, industry-wide community service initiative. Sponsored by Amazon Fashion and supported by the biggest brands in the footwear industry, Footwear Cares brings together more than 100 shoe companies and 6,500 employee volunteers who are “paying back” the cities and towns in which these organizations are based by donating their time. This corporate commitment to community service dates back to Two Ten’s founding.
Highlights of the third week of National Footwear Cares Month include the following:
- Volunteers working at the Habitat of Humanity and Harvesters in Topeka, Kansas City helped build a garage and cleared 1300 cubic feet of brush, packed a month’s worth of groceries for 1,042 senior citizens and 700 backpacks, also filled with groceries, for kids to take home.
- At the Marin Food Bank in Novato, California, volunteers packaged 1,360 pounds of bulk rice and bread for distribution to food pantries.
- More than 750 volunteers in Indiana gathered to pack 247,840 packets of food for kids in need.
- The Greater Boston Food Bank volunteers packed 8,198 pounds of food equaling 6,306 meals.
- At the Food Bank for NYC, volunteers packed 12,771 meals for the food insecure of New York.
- The St. Louis Area Food Bank was on the receiving end of volunteer support that resulted in the packing of 17,128 pounds of food – the equivalent of 13,900 meals, and
- In Athens County, southeastern Ohio, volunteers recognized Athens County Beautification Day by power washing and painting the dugouts at four different softball fields, planting flowers, and installing new basketball hoops and nets.
“As National Footwear Cares Month heads into its fourth and final week, those of us associated with this outstanding campaign look forward to each day as a fresh opportunity to do more,” said Two Ten President Neal Newman. “While we recognize that the communities and organizations we are supporting are grateful for our help, we also know that in many cases we are just scratching the surface of what is really required to make a difference.”
About Two Ten Footwear Foundation During 2014, Two Ten is proudly celebrating its 75th anniversary as the footwear industry’s national charitable foundation — the only foundation of its kind in the United States. Two Ten is committed to strengthening America’s footwear community by providing emergency financial assistance at times of crisis; college scholarships for footwear employees and their families; community building opportunities; career affinity group networking; and other social and career services. For more information about Footwear Cares and Two Ten Footwear Foundation, please visit www.twoten.org.