'Kicks for a Cause' shoe drive aims to support children throughout North Central West Virginia

Riverstone Community Services has also partnered with Funds2Orgs, a nonprofit that repurposes donated shoes to create economic opportunities in developing countries.

The organization will receive funding based on the total weight of gently worn, used and new shoes collected, with Funds2Orgs issuing a check for the total donation.

According to a press release, 100% of the proceeds will go toward Kids Thrive Community Drive and its growing initiatives.

“This began with identifying community needs, and one of the first things that stood out was the need for shoes. It’s probably not surprising, but shoes are a major necessity across all schools and for all children,” said Titus Swan, founder, chairman and CEO of WVSHI Inc.

“We started looking for nontraditional fundraising options and found that collecting used shoes was a viable solution. These shoes are then transported to a larger corporation that redistributes or recycles them, and in return, our nonprofit — like others — receives a donation based on the value of what we collect.”

Swan said participating counties have been receptive to the initiative.

“We haven’t asked any of the counties to do anything beyond letting us know what they need and when,” he said. “That said, Lewis County Schools have been amazing — well beyond expectations. They’ve been actively checking in, asking how things are going and offering to help however they can.”

“Randolph County has been in somewhat communication with us, but they have a memorandum of understanding (MOU) in place like all the school districts. Their board still needs to approve it, so we’re waiting on an update.

“Upshur County is in the same situation — their meeting to approve participation was supposed to happen in January, but it hasn’t taken place yet... They’ve all been very good across the board, but Lewis County has been the most communicative with us throughout.”

Swan said the initiative’s goal is to provide children throughout North Central West Virginia with greater opportunities.

“By using funds from this shoe drive to secure a truck, we’ll be able to bring back 20 to 30 pallets of supplies and distribute them beyond just the participating school districts. Our ultimate goal is to support children and families across the entire state,” he said.

“This initiative will also allow us to expand beyond traditional school districts. For example, there may be homeschool families who need assistance but aren’t connected to public schools. By building up our supply stock, we can extend our reach and provide support to those who need it.”

The response to this initiative so far has been positive, Swan said, estimating between 250 and 300 pairs of shoes donated so far.

“This weekend, I’m actually heading to Bridgeport Running for our first shoe pickup there, and I was told to expect a large collection — definitely more than what would fit in a car trunk. So by the time I make that pickup, we should be well over 300 pairs by next week.”

Shoe donations can be dropped off in Buckhannon, and pickups can be arranged in Lewis and Upshur counties. For locations outside these counties, a minimum number of pairs is required for pickup, according to the press release.