Let the Sorting Begin

Children's shoes, women's shoes, men's shoes, work boots, sandals, winter boots, a record number of shoes are now arriving for this years Soles 4 Souls campaign. Now is the time to sort them all.

Volunteers are meeting for sorting on next 3 Tuesday mornings from 10 am to Noon 1026 Enterprise Way across the street from Tim Hortons.

If you would like to pitch in contact Jim Belshaw Roy's Shoes, Boots and Repair http://www.roysshoes.com 1627 Ellis Street Kelowna, BC V1Y 2A8 250-763-5696

CANADA AM - Laureen Harper puts her best foot forward for Soles4Souls Canada

Laureen Harper is putting her best foot forward as she donates shoes to Ottawa’s Soles4Souls project.

The prime ministers wife added a few more shoes to the pile at city hall yesterday and encouraged everyone to see if they have some gently worn shoes to donate.

The Ottawa Soles4Souls chapter hopes to collect 200 hundred thousand pairs of shoes this month in support of the organizations nationwide Million Shoe Mission.

In Attendance:
Laureen Harper
Ottawa Mayor Jim Watson,
Dymon Self Storage - Senior VP Stephen Creighton
Local Heroes - Mark Kosmos

CTV’ S - Beverly Thomson co-hosts CANADA AM -- CTV's National morning show -- weekdays from 6 a.m. - 9 a.m. ET

http://www.soles4soulscanada.com/

Premier Christy Clark supports Soles4Souls Canada Shoe Drive

April 2012-04-18

A Message from the British Columbia Premier

As Premier of the Province of British Columbia, I am very pleased to congratulate Soles 4 Souls on the success of its shoe drive over the past 3 years.

Jim Belshaw and his team have identified an excellent opportunity to support children and adults around the world.  I understand that the Soles 4 Souls program supports humanitarian relief efforts and microenterprise projects, with the ultimate goal of enriching the lives of those without a comfortable pair of shoes.

Community initiatives like the Million Shoe Mission make a world of difference for these individuals and I want to thank all of the volunteers, community sponsors, and donor for your generous support.

Once again, congratulations on your success to date and I wish you all the best in your efforts to collect 100,000 pairs of shoes in British Columbia.

Sincerely,

Christy Clark

Premier

Reba McEntire, Keith Urban, Alan Jackson and Billy Gilman donate music to Soles 4 Souls

Scheduled to be released on April 16, 2012, the objective of The Choice is to put 500,000 pairs of shoes on children in need.

CHARITY SINGLE BRINGS TOGETHER 19 TOP COUNTRY MUSIC ARTISTS FOR INTERNATIONAL SHOE CHARITY SOLES4SOULS®

BILLY GILMAN SPEARHEADS HISTORIC PROJECT TO SPONSOR 500,000 PAIRS OF SHOES

The Choice came to life through the contribution of the voices of Gilman and fellow country artists Rodney Atkins, Montgomery Gentry, Amy Grant, Steve Holy, Alan Jackson, Wynonna Judd, Richie McDonald, Reba McEntire, Vince Gill, Ronnie Milsap, Craig Morgan, Kellie Pickler, LeAnn Rimes, Diamond Rio, Kenny Rogers, Randy Travis, Josh Turner, and Keith Urban.

Nashville, TN – March 21, 2012– Multi-platinum selling artist and Gammy nominee Billy Gilman, will make his much anticipated return to music with the April 16th release of “The Choice”, a charity single that will benefit Soles4Souls®. In addition to Gilman, the song features 18 of country music’s top artists, including Alan Jackson, Reba McEntire, Josh Turner, and Keith Urban (see entire list of artists below). Through the strong support of CMT and Regal Entertainment Group, the music video associated with the song will get great national exposure with its premiere on April 16th.

Gilman, who has sold more than six million albums worldwide and garnered awards and nods from the Academy of Country Music, the Country Music Association, Billboard Magazine, and the American Music Association, was in the process of writing material for his upcoming music project with two of his co-writers, Dan Murph and Philip Douglas, when the idea for The Choice was born. The group watched a YouTube video in which Soles4Souls challenged people from all across the country to start their own shoe drives in their communities and do something to benefit those living in adverse poverty and in need of footwear. But instead of setting up a collection bin on a crowded street, they got the idea to do what they do best–write a song. They agreed that every penny generated from the song, including the songwriters’ and publishers’ shares, would go to Soles4Souls. Within one week, the trio penned The Choice and pitched the idea to the charity organization.

“This pretty much started out as just a song for Billy,” said Murph. “Then he called and asked a fellow artist to sing on it with him. And that led to another artist. And before we knew it, all of these amazing iconic country artists were lining up to volunteer their time and talent to this song and this amazing cause. The support for Soles4Souls among the country music community has grown beyond our wildest expectations.”

The Choice was recorded in a Nashville studio one week following the meeting between Gilman’s team and Soles4Souls. It is being released on the Cotton Valley Records (CVR) label through the generous support of recording studio veteran J. Gary Smith. “Having partnered with some of the world’s finest talent, CVR is proud to participate in this amazing project,” said Smith. “Soles4Souls is a wonderful organization and The Choice a truly inspiring song. One hundred percent of the proceeds go directly to Soles4Souls.”

In addition to premiering the music video, CMT is putting its muscle behind the song with an extensive marketing campaign that will include promotion on CMT main channel, CMT mobile, CMT Insider, CMT Radio, and CMT blogs. Regal Entertainment Group, the largest movie cinema company in the United States, will air an exclusive 30-second clip of The Choice for a two week period beginning April 16th on all of its 6,775 screens. The clip features a performance by Gilman and a special message urging people to download the song and bring the goal of placing 500,000 pair of shoes one step closer to reality.

“Soles4Souls is a very worthwhile cause and Regal Entertainment Group is proud to support this initiative by featuring the message on our screens to be viewed by moviegoers all across the country,” said Dick Westerling, Regal Entertainment Group, SVP.

Gilman burst onto the national stage in 2000 at the age of 12, releasing the hit single “One Voice” and becoming the youngest singer to land on the Top 40 country charts. His debut album was certified double platinum in the United States, and he was included in the Guinness Book of World Records for being the youngest singer to ever reach #1 on the Billboard Top Country Album charts.

Dedicated to providing shoes to children and adults around the world who live in adverse poverty, Soles4Souls® has donated more than 17 million pairs of shoes across 129 countries since its inception in 2004.

About The Choice

Never in the history of country music have so many stars united on one single song! The Choice was co-written by multi-platinum selling GRAMMY nominee Billy Gilman to bring attention to the world wide plight of children in desperate need of shoes. One hundred percent of the proceeds from digital download of The Choice go directly to Soles4Souls, one of the fastest-growing nonprofits in the country whose goal is simply to put shoes on people in need. Scheduled to be released on April 16, 2012, the objective of The Choice is to put 500,000 pairs of shoes on children in need.

For more information contact:

Eastern Canada

Donald J.L. Robichaud
Director Eastern Canada Soles4Souls
info@soles4soulscanada.com
613- 466-0416 or 1-888-768-9415
http://www.soles4soulscanada.com/

or

Western Canada



Jim Belshaw Roy's Shoes, Boots and Repair http://www.roysshoes.com 1627 Ellis Street Kelowna, BC V1Y 2A8 250-763-5696

Castanet-Saving a Million Soles

The goal is to collect 100,000 pairs of shoes in Kelowna during the month of April as part of Sole4Souls Canada's Million Shoe Mission.

Many of the shoes collected will remain in the Okanagan and will be distributed out into the community through agencies like the Gospel Mission, however the remaining shoes are destined for something much different.

Since its inception in 2004, Soles4Souls has distributed over 17 million pairs of shoes for crisis relief situations in countries like Haiti and Japan after the earthquakes. But not all the shoes are just given away, in some countries people take the donated shoes and sell them as part of a micro-enterprise program.

Jim Belshaw, who started Soles4Souls Canada, says last year 7,000 pairs of the 60,000 pairs of shoes collected remained in the Okanagan, but the remaining shoes were shipped primarily to Haiti.

"Soles4Souls was finding that you go into a country and drop a bunch of shoes and take off, which is good, it puts shoes on the feet of those who need them. But if you teach someone how to sell them, it's the old saying 'if you give a man a fish he eats for a day, you teach a man to fish he eats for a lifetime'."

CAO of Soles4Souls, Todd McKee, says giving shoes away for crisis relief is appropriate in many situations to address the immediate needs of people who are suffering, but to fight poverty on a long term basis, micro-enterprise is the best solution.

"There is a time for relief and a time for development, so Soles4Souls does both."

According to McKee the micro-enterprise program started in Haiti and has since spread to six other countries.

"It's a consignment model, so that the people don't have to come up with any up front costs, they just receive inventory of shoes and then they go out and sell them then come back and reimburse our man in Haiti for his costs, and then he orders another container of shoes from us and then he reimburses us for the cost."

The cost of the shoes sold by vendors in places such as Haiti is estimated to be ten dollars, while their reimbursement fee is approximately two dollars. McKee says the money Soles4Souls brings in is the cost of shipping and processing the shoes.

"We employ 25 people in Alabama in a very small disadvantaged town, called Wadley. So what they do is when they receive shoes there, they take them, sort them to size and condition. If they are B or C grade then they are destined for micro-enterprise if they are A grade then they are for crisis relief."


'A' Grade shoes are new or almost brand new and need no repairs, while B or C shoes are gently used and need to be fixed up by the vendors before selling.

McKee says Soles4Souls is very transparent in explaining where the shoes are going and how they are being distributed.

"We get more criticism from people for giving away shoes, because there is a huge current in the non-profit world about 'dumping' donations in foreign countries. So I email back and I say we do micro-enterprise to help local economies and benefit them long term. Donations help to alleviate suffering, but micro-enterprising can help with long term poverty by allowing the merchant to make money to feed his family."

According to McKee the micro-enterprise programs are going well and countries such as Tanzania have vendors asking for more donations.

"When I spoke with (the) Tanzanians, the consensus was they make $300 a month which is about three times the average of other Tanzanians and what we are trying to do is reach out to the single moms, the widows or other people that never new about the opportunity and bring them in to learn about the basic business principles. We hope that by attracting these folks and bringing them in for business training, they will know that when they receive the shoes for consignment that this will be a long term business opportunity."

There are 130 countries, including those with micro-enterprise programs, that receive crisis relief shoes from Soles4Souls and McKee says they are looking to do more work in other nations, especially South America.

"Donations can only be given to places where there is a policy in place to receive the shoes. A lot of countries, whether it is civic pride or what not, may not want that kind of donation."

Soles4Souls Canada has recently been named a registered charity and according to McKee this will benefit Canadian manufacturers who donated shoes that cannot be sold due to flaws with a tax incentive.

Back in Kelowna the goal remains the same, donated shoes and a few extra dollars to help change the lives of people in this community and around the world.

Belshaw says Soles4Souls Canada started as a little idea three years ago and has grown with help of the community.

"It started when the devastating earthquake hit Haiti and I thought I would collect a few thousand pair of shoes. I had a lofty goal of 2500 shoes and the first day we had 4000 or 5000 pairs of shoes dropped off. We collected 45,000 pairs of shoes the first year, and 60,000 last year and this year 100,000 pairs in BC. "

Throughout the country Belshaw expects there will be half a million pairs of shoes collected in the next 30 days for Soles4Souls.

Three ways to help:

1) Drop off shoe locations at the drop off locations see http://soles4soulskelowna.blogspot.ca/p/drop-off-locations.html
2) A $1.00 donation buys 1 pair of new sandals/shoes. To donate go to http://www.soles4soulscanada.com/how-you-can-help/we-need-your-help/
3) Organize a shoe drive at a: school, church, your place of business or neighbourhood.

Article provided by Castanet-Kelowna http://www.castanet.net/news/Kelowna/73321/Saving-a-million-soles

Jim Belshaw Roy's Shoes, Boots and Repair http://www.roysshoes.com 1627 Ellis Street Kelowna, BC V1Y 2A8 250-763-5696

Got Some Unused Shoes in The Closet?

The Kelowna man who started the Canadian campaign for Soles4Souls has set an ambitious goal for their third annual event: 100,000 shoes collected in BC.



“There are 300 million kids in the world without any shoes,” says Jim Belshaw, who makes a living selling and fixing shoes at his Okanagan shop, Roy’s Shoes.

“It’s incredible to see the joy on someone’s face when they realize. It’s almost like they can look forward instead of down where they are stepping because they actually have a good pair of shoes.”

At first, Belshaw’s efforts collected 45,000 pairs in British Columbia. The second year, BC residents donated 65,000. In the charity’s six years operating internationally, 17 million shoes have been collected in 130 countries.

“We all have 3, 4, 5, 6 pairs of shoes in our closet we don’t wear anymore,” says Belshaw. “It’s very effective.”

Shoe donations can be dropped off at Roy’s Shoes, Prospera Credit Union, Capri Insurance, Starbucks and McDonald’s Restaurants in the Okanagan.

Read it on Global News: Soles4Souls sets big goal in BC

Jim Belshaw Roy's Shoes, Boots and Repair http://www.roysshoes.com 1627 Ellis Street Kelowna, BC V1Y 2A8 250-763-5696

2012 Goal 100,000 Pairs of Shoes

At the Soles 4 Souls Kelowna Press release on Monday April 2 Jim Belshaw announced the goal for 2012  shoes for British Columbia, 100,000 pairs of Shoes.

In 2010 the first year of the program in Kelowna they raised 45,000 pairs of shoes, in 2011 65,000 and in 2012 they are striving for 100,000 pairs of shoes in BC.

Jim also announced the Canadian target of half a million pairs of shoes Canada wide, including Ottawa, Montreal, and Edmonton.

Jim mentioned the success of the fund raising efforts was due many of the participating sponsors such as

• McDonald's, Starbuck's, Big O Tire, and many others for having a drop off location conveniently located around BC.
• Gord Halvorsen and the drivers from Total Delivery Systems for handling the pick up of all the shoes for delivery to the provincial sorting centre. 
• Telus Volunteers at the Kelowna sorting centre.
• Al Stober for the use of the warehouse for sorting the shoes.

Attending the event from Soles 4 Souls World headquarters in Nashville Tennesee CFO Kevin Goughary, and Chief Counsel/Chief Administrative Officer Todd McKee.

Also attending the event were Kelowna Mayor Walter Gray, former Kelowna Mayor Sharon Shepherd, and long with councillors Colin Basran, Maxine Dehart and Mohini Singh.

On Tuesday April 4th Jim, Kevin and Todd will be presenting to local Okanagan school's to raise more awareness of Souls 4 Soles.

In the words of Jim Belshaw "The Campaign only lasts 30 days ... so make sure to clean out your closets. It is amazing such a small idea can grow into 17 million pairs of shoes world wide!".

For a drop off location near you go to  http://soles4soulskelowna.blogspot.ca/p/drop-off-locations.html.

Thank you to Sue Freeman of Portrait Art Photography for the pictures.

For more information contact Jim Belshaw Roy's Shoes, Boots and Repair http://www.roysshoes.com 1627 Ellis Street Kelowna, BC V1Y 2A8 250-763-5696

Soles 4 Souls Drop Off Locations Announced for BC

Time for Kelowna, West Kelowna, Summerland, Peachland, Penticton, South Okanagan, Vernon, North Okanagan, Kamloops, Prince George,  Merrit, Kootney's, Vancouver Island, Vancouver/Lower Mainland to open your closets!

Soles4Souls is once again collecting gently used shoes of any size or type to help those in need around the world.

So if you have a few extra pairs of shoes just lying around, drop them off at any of these locations:

Kelowna
Roy's Shoes-1627 Ellis St.
On Side Restoration-8-1595 Innovation Dr.
Capri Insurance-Capri Centre
Capri Insurance-Orchard Park Mall
Capri Insurance-Powick Road
Capri Insurance-Winfield Shopping Centre
McDonalds- Harvey Avenue
McDonalds-Rutland
McDonalds-WalMart
McDonalds-Lake Country
McDonalds-Glen Park
Prospera Credit Union-Harvey St.
Starbucks- All Locations
Prospera Credit Union- Mission Branch
Ramada Hotel Kelowna
Mark's Work Wearhouse
PostNet-105-3957 Lakeshore Rd
PostNet-138-1876 Cooper Rd, Kelowna
OK Tire-Sprinfield Rd
OkTire-Rutland

West Kelowna
PostNet-2417 Main St.
Capri Insurance-WB Towne Centre Plaza
McDonalds- West Kelowna
Starbucks- All  Locations
Mark's Work Wearhouse
OK Tires-West Kelowna
Bank Montreal 3604 Gosset Rd

Summerland/Peachland
McDonalds Summerland

Penticton 
McDonalds-Penticton
Prospera Credit Union-Main St-Penticton
Starbucks- All Locations
Capri Insurance-396 Ellis St.
Ok Tire-485 Warren Ave E.

South Okanagan
McDonalds-Osoyoos
OK Tire Osoyoos 8147 Main St
OK Tire Oliver 36259 97th St.

Vernon
McDonalds -58th Ave- Vernon
McDonalds - WalMart-Vernon
McDonalds-25th Ave-Vernon
Mark's Work Wearhouse
On Side Restoration 5005 24th St.
Prospera Credit Union-32nd St-Vernon
Starbucks- All Locations
Capri Insurance-Polson Place Mall
Capri Insurance-Acess 48th Ave
OK Tire 3300 32 Ave.

North Okanagan
McDonalds - Armstrong

Kamloops
On Side Restoration 1316 McGill Rd.
Mark's Work Wearhouse
Starbucks- All  Locations
Capri Insurance-1315 Summit Drive
Capri Insurance-1800 Tranquille Rd

Prince George
Total Delivery Sytems 2119 Ogilvie St S

Merritt
Mark's Work Wearhouse
Starbucks- All Locations

Kootenays
Mark's Work Wearhouse-Nelson
Mark's Work Wearhouse-Castlegar
Mark's Work Wearhouse-Trail

Vancouver Island 
On Side Restoration 2-5280 Polkey Rd. Duncan
On Side Restoration 6908 Comox Rd Nanaimo
On Side Restoration 800A Francis Rd. Victoria
Total Delivery Systems Victoria 450 Banga Pl
Total Delivery Systems Nanaimo 4-125 Bowlsby St
Total Delivery Systems 4747 Tebo Rd.Port Alberni
Total Delivery Systems 260A Tsolum Road Courtenay

Vancouver/Lower Mainland
On Side Restoration Unit A 31053 Peardonville Rd Abbotsford
On Side Restoration Unit #8 12950 80th Ave Surrey
On Side Restoration 3157 Grandview Hwy Vanouver

All Lower Mainland Prospera Credit  Unions
Abbotsford Branch 34630 DeLair Road
Abbotsford West Oaks Branch 40 - 32700 South Fraser Way
Abbotsford Corporate Office 500-32071 S. Fraser Way
Surrey Fleetwood Branch 100 - 15288 Fraser Highway
Surrey Centre Branch 13747-104th Avenue
Surrey Ocean Pointe Branch 102 - 1688 152 Street
Vancouver South Granville Branch3088 Granville Street
Chilliwack Branch45820 Wellington Avenue
Chilliwack Sardis Branch7565 Vedder Road
Langley Branch500 - 6339 200th Street
Mission Branch 101 - 32423 Lougheed Hwy
Agassiz Branch PO Box 431 - 1810 No. 9 Hwy

Other Lower Mainland Locations
Mozart Bakery - Suite 12 – 20348 88th Ave. Langley
Versacold - 19572 94th Ave. Surrey
Bakerview Pet Hospital (With PetSmart) - 1305 Sumas Way, Abbotsford
Cannon Medical Clinic 2151 McCallum Road, Abbotsford
Optimum Sports Clinic - #7 - 45966 Yale Road, Chilliwack
Pricemart Foods 46020 Yale Rd West, Chilliwack
Total Body Fitness - 45680 Hocking Ave, Chilliwack
Garrison Wine & Liquor Merchants - 45555 Market Way #5, Chilliwack
Praetorian Security #16-45966 Yale Road West, Chilliwack
Vedder Elementary School - 45850 Promontory Road, Chilliwack
Hobby Hill Preschool - 5650 Teskey Way, Chilliwack
Name That Tune Night (One night only April 28th) - Ryder Lake Hall 49285 Elkview Road Chilliwack
Ship Happens - 115 First St. Sumas, WA

A big THANK YOU all our pick up locations for helping with the collection of the donated shoes.

A special THANK YOU to Gord Halvorsen and the drivers at Total Delivery Systems from all over British Columbia for doing the shoe pick ups. Without the donation of their time, trucks and gas Soles 4 Souls could not succeed!

Every donation makes a huge difference in the lives of someone less fortunate!

If you have any questions contact Jim Belshaw Roy's Shoes, Boots and Repair http://www.roysshoes.com 1627 Ellis Street Kelowna, BC V1Y 2A8 250-763-5696

Press Release - Soles 4 Souls Month in Kelowna (Canada)

“Soles 4 Souls Month in Kelowna (Canada)” 

Kelowna Mayor Walter Gray and Roy’s Shoes Jim (Roy) Belshaw

&

Soles4Soles CFO/CEO Kevin Goughary & CAO Todd McKee  

Press Conference 

Monday April 2^nd 2012 - 1:00 to 2:00 pm 

Roys Shoes  – 1627 Ellis Street, Kelowna BC V1Y 2A8 

Soles4Souls Canada

Changing the world, One Pair at a time

April 1^st 2012 through April 30^th 2012

 Kelowna , BC –From April 1^st through April 30^th with participating locations across Kelowna gently worn shoes will be collected as part of our goal to collect 100,000 pairs of shoes in the month of April as part of Sole4Souls Canada’s Million Shoe Mission.

In 2010 Jim Belshaw started Soles4Souls Canada and with the support of the citizens of Kelowna proceeded to collect 40,000 pairs of shoes for Soles4Souls. In 2011 60,000 pairs of shoes were collected.

This year we are proud to have for our launch Soles4Soles.org. CFO/CEO Kevin Goughary & CAO Todd McKee with us to launch this year’s campaign.

Our goal this year is to collect 100,000 pairs of gently worn shoes in the month of April as part of Sole4Souls Canada’s Million Shoe Mission.

We are proud to also announce that this year as part of our Soles4Souls Million Shoes Mission we will be collecting shoes in Alberta, Ontario, and Quebec. The Long-term goal is to make April Soles4Soles Month in Canada.

Local Kelowna Social agencies will be supported: Last year 7,000 pairs of the 60,000 pairs of shoes collected remained in the Okanagan and were distributed out to the community through agencies like Gospel Mission, Now Canada, Kelowna Women’s Shelter and the Friendship Center. The remaining shoes were shipped to a Soles4Souls sorting center in Nevada where they were resorted and shipped to the people most in need, primarily Haiti last year.

The remaining shoes will be shipped to the Soles4Souls distribution Centre in Nevada where they will be sorted and shipped to where needed around the world.

In the last 2 year Souls4Souls Canada, collecting shoes in the Interior BC has collected 115,000 pairs of shoes. This Year we will be collecting shoes in Kelowna, Edmonton, Montreal and Kelowna.

Since its inception in 2004 Soles4Souls has distributed over 17 million pairs of shoes, and has responded to more than 40 natural disasters worldwide with crisis relief aid, including Hurricane Katrina, the Haiti earthquake in 2010, the Japan earthquake, and the Alabama and Missouri tornadoes in 2011.

With 1 in 4 people around the world living in abject poverty, the shoe charity also assists individuals living in developing nations and in the U.S. and Canada who cannot afford shoes.

In the last few years the tragedy in Haiti and Japan reminds us of the 300 million children around the world who live a life of tragedy and disaster every day. By giving them the gift of shoes, you tell them that it’s possible to dream beyond their current situation and remind them that there are people who love and care about them.

If you’re interested in supporting Soles4Souls’ relief efforts, let me encourage you to visit www.soles4soulscanada.com to find the nearest shoe drop-off location.  Monetary donations can be made also be made.

Situations like Haiti and Japan remind us just how much we have. Consider sharing your extra shoes and a few extra dollars to help change the lives of people around the world with the gift of shoes.

3 ways to help

1)     Drop off shoe locations at anyone of the drop off locations see http://soles4soulskelowna.blogspot.ca/  for all locations in Kelowna.

2)     A $1.00 donation buys 1 pair of NEW SANDALS. Go to www.soles4soulscanada.com/donate

3)     Organize a shoe drive at school, church, and your place of business or your neighborhood!!! 

WE NEED YOU TO CLEAN OUT YOUR CLOSETS!!! 

Estimates are that every person has 3 or 4 pairs at least in their closet that are not worn any more but still in good shape. We ask that you clean out your closets but convince your friends, neighbors and relatives to do the same. We ask that the shoes have no holes in the soles and are in decent shape. All footwear including sandals and boots are accepted and needed.

PLEASE TIE SHOES TOGETHER OR USE ELASTIC BANDS TO HOLD SHOES IN PAIRS

It is also the GREEN thing to do. There is tons of discarded footwear in the landfills that contain toxic glue that holds our shoes together, when these break-down it can leak into our water supply and atmosphere.

Kelowna citizens and companies interested in donating can visit the Soles4Souls at www.soles4soulscanada.com or call Jim Belshaw @ 250-763-5696 

SOLES4SOULS CANADA CONTACT: 

Jim Belshaw 

250-763-5696

http://www.sole4soulscanada.com 

-30-

Mayor Walter Gray - Time for Spring Cleaning!

Mayor Walter Gray for Soles4Souls Kelowna

It’s time for a little spring cleaning!!

Kelowna has always been a caring city and as Mayor I am proclaiming April as Soles4Souls month in Kelowna.

Soles4Souls Canada offers an important service ensuring that children and adults in our community and the world are assisted by the simple donations of gently worn shoes.

We need you, our fellow citizens, to clean out your closets and help ensure that the children and adults of the world have the appropriate footwear for school and work.

With your simple donation we can improve their lives by the collection and distribution of gently worn shoes.

Our goal this year is to collect one hundred thousand pairs of shoes.

You can drop off your donations at many locations throughout the city.

Article From: http://www.soles4soulscanada.com/2012/03/soles4soul-kelowna-mayor-walter-gray-its-time-for-a-little-spring-cleaning/

Jim Belshaw Roy's Shoes, Boots and Repair http://www.roysshoes.com 1627 Ellis Street Kelowna, BC V1Y 2A8 250-763-5696

Mrs. Laureen Harper supports Soles4Souls

 I am pleased to provide this letter of support for Canada Soles4Souls and the Million Shoe Mission. I understand the plight of those who cannot afford a nice pair of shoes, and I appreciate the value of a program that offers quality footwear to these vulnerable individuals. I appreciate the importance of putting your best foot forward.

Having a nice selection of shoes is indeed a luxury that many of us take for granted. I would encourage everybody to take a quick peek in their closets, and see if there is a pair or two of shoes that have been forgotten. There are people across Canada who would benefit from your generosity, as well as people around the world.

I look forward to having the opportunity to donate a pair of my shoes to this incredible initiative.

Sincerely,

Laureen Harper

Article From: http://www.soles4soulscanada.com/2012/03/mrs-laureen-harper-supports-soles4souls-canada/

Jim Belshaw Roy's Shoes, Boots and Repair http://www.roysshoes.com 1627 Ellis Street Kelowna, BC V1Y 2A8 250-763-5696

Another successful Soles4Souls campaign in Kelowna!!

Jim Belshaw winds up another successful Soles4Souls campaign in Kelowna with the help of Phil Johnson at 1150 Talk Radio.

Soles4Souls 2011 - AM1150 from Jerry Mason on Vimeo.
Jim Belshaw Roy's Shoes, Boots and Repair http://www.roysshoes.com 1627 Ellis Street Kelowna, BC V1Y 2A8 250-763-5696

Soles4Souls Canada reaches his goal of 100,000 shoes

Jim Belshaw of Kelowna reaches his goal of 100,000 shoes. Castanet's Kelly Hayes reports.
Jim Belshaw Roy's Shoes, Boots and Repair
http://www.roysshoes.com/
1627 Ellis Street
Kelowna, BC V1Y 2A8
250-763-5696

Campaign collects 60,000 donated shoes

Kelowna Capital News - Business

By Barry Gerding - Kelowna Capital News

Published: May 18, 2011 3:00 AM

Residents across the province are showing a lot of soul in supporting a shoe collection initiative started in Kelowna.

The second annual Sunrise Rotary Club’s Soles4Souls shoe drive is nearly complete, with some 60,000 pairs of shows donated this year.

Rotarian Jim Belshaw, owner of Roy’s Shoes in Kelowna and the driving force behind the campaign, said that is 20,000 more shoes than were collected last year.

On Tuesday, a number of local social service agencies were picking over shoes that could be used by their program participants.

“Last year, agencies put about 7,000 to 8,000 shoes back into the community for people in need of them,” Belshaw said.

The remainder are sent to the head distribution centre for the Soles4Souls program in Nevada, where the unwanted shoes are then sent to countries all over the world.

“It’s something I guess that everyone can identify with, we all have shoes in our closets that we don’t wear but could still be useful to people not as fortunate as ourselves,” Belshaw said.

“Otherwise, they just end up in the landfill, so there is a great recycling benefit as well.”

Chris Talbot , a volunteer with Freedom’s Door, non-profit society that uses the Twelve Step program and Christian principles to rehabilitate men struggling with alcoholism and drug addiction, was among the agency representatives collecting shoes for its clients on Tuesday.

“This is a huge benefit as we have 40 guys in the treatment program and many of them don’t have very much,” Talbot said.

He said finding runners for each of their program participants means they can benefit from the exercise routine the program offers through Parkinson Recreation Centre.

The same applies to steel-toed boots that can allow Freedom’s Door participants who are ready to go back into the workforce.

Belshaw said Rotary Clubs across the province have gravitated to the program, many indicating that next year their Rotary clubs will actively support the campaign.

Jim Belshaw
Roy's Shoes, Boots and Repair
http://www.roysshoes.com/
1627 Ellis Street
Kelowna, BC V1Y 2A8
250-763-5696

Soles4Souls collects over 60,000 shoes and Shoes going to Slave Lake

As posted on Castanet

Jim Belshaw from Roy's Shoes

 The Soles4Souls joint project of Kelowna Sunrise Rotary and Roy’s Shoes has collected 60,000 pairs of shoes and boots to send to disaster and relief agencies in the developing world.

Even more shoes are on the way from Vancouver Island.

After the disaster in Slave Lake this week, volunteers gathered 2,500 pairs of Keen shoes, both new and lightly worn, to send off to the fire victims.

Locally, representatives from volunteer organizations including the Kelowna Boys and Girls Club, United Church and Ki-Low-Na Friendship Society were at the warehouse on Tuesday to pick out 2,000 pairs of shoes for their Outreach Programs.

Monetary donations are being accepted to buy new pairs of sandals which cost $1.00 per pair. To make a donation visit http://www.kelownasunriserotary.com/  and follow the links

Jim Belshaw
Roy's Shoes, Boots and Repair
http://www.roysshoes.com/
1627 Ellis Street
Kelowna, BC V1Y 2A8
250-763-5696

Soles4Souls Canada - 40,000 Collected - It's Not Too Late To Help!

It's Not Too Late To Help!

40,000 Collected todate

for

Soles4Souls Canada

The Kelowna Sunrise Rotary’s Million Shoe Mission is nearing the end of the second annual S4S shoe drive for this year. Our last official day for shoe donations is this coming Saturday May 14th 2011.

Total collected to date is in the neighborhood of 40,000 pairs of shoes.

We just received close to 3,000 pairs of near new Keen shoes and boots which finished filling the first 53 foot trailer, we are now working on second one trailer.

UBCO, Victoria, Chilliwack and other locations are coming in this week. We expect to finish with over 50,000 pairs!

It is not too late to make a difference in someone’s life by dropping off a pair of gently used shoes to any Capri Insurance, Mark’s Work Wearhouse, McDonalds, Starbucks locations or Roy’s Shoes. Official drop off locations are all @

http://soles4soulskelowna.blogspot.com/p/drop-off-locations.html


Also people can donate cash if they prefer - One dollar = One pair new shoes. Go to Roy's Shoes or http://www.soles4soulscanada.com/

An invite is going out to the local Kelowna social agencies so they can take what ever footwear they need for their clients and is planned for the 3rd week of May.

For more information contact Jim Belshaw (250) 763-5696 or Cell (250) 870-1191



Roy's Shoes, Boots and Repair
http://www.roysshoes.com/
1627 Ellis Street
Kelowna, BC V1Y 2A8
250-763-5696

Thing for Shoes - Ladies Night taking place at the store on May 5 from 4 to 9 pm

Tracy Rippel, Mark’s Work Warehouse

Tracy Rippel, Mark’s Work Warehouse store operator, is surrounded by shoe donations already collected as part of the Soles4Souls campaign. 

Participating as an official drop-off location for the charity, gently used shoes can be brought to the store through to May 14. 

During the upcoming Ladies Night taking place at the store on May 5 from 4 to 9 pm., customers will received an additional 5 percent off the already store -wide 20 percent discount if a pair of shoes are brought in or a $1 to $2 donation towards the project is received. 

Remember to attach pairs together with an elastic ban or tie the laces.  Last year 7,000 pairs of the 40,000 pairs of shoes collected remained in the Okanagan and were distributed out to the community through agencies like Gospel Mission, Now Canada, Kelowna Women’s Shelter and the Friendship Centre. 

The remaining shoes were shipped to the people most in need.  For more information on Soles4Souls visit the website: wwwsoles4soulscanada.com. 

In addition to this charity, if $65 is spent during the Ladies Night shopping evening, Mark’s will donate $5 to breast cancer research.  Since 2002, more than one million dollars has been raised for the Breast Cancer Society of Canada. 

Store is located at #102-3550 Carrington Rd.   Call 250-768-1934 for more information.

As posted in the Westside Weekly Sunday May1st, 2011

Jim Belshaw
Roy's Shoes, Boots and Repair
http://www.roysshoes.com/
1627 Ellis Street
Kelowna, BC
V1Y 2A8
250-763-5696

Soles4Souls deadline extended to May 14th 2011

Volunteer Barb Hassard, right, sorts shoes at the Soles4Souls warehouse on Tuesday.

The deadline for the Soles4Souls campaign has been extended, and there is no excuse for those hoarding extra shoes in their closets. "Every pair will make a difference in someone's life, there are hundreds of millions of kids and adults in this world with no shoes what-so-ever," says organizer Jim Belshaw. Belshaw, who owns Roy's Shoes, encourages Okanagan residents to dig through their closets and donate all unused shoes. "Take a moment before or after work, throw them in your car, drop them off at any Mark's Work Wearhouse, Roy's Shoes, McDonalds or Starbucks. There are locations all over, so there is no excuse for not finding somewhere to drop them off -- so make a difference in somebody's life," says Belshaw. Belshaw's goal was to gather 100,000 pairs of shoes by April 30, but that deadline has now been extended to May 14. "Last week, UBC-O called me and said, 'is it to late to get on board -- can we extend the drive.'" Belshaw says several other groups from other cities across the province have also come aboard, "Victoria just came on board, Trail just came on board, Port Alberni just came on board so we've extended until the May 14. Shoes just keep coming in, so we're going to keep collecting as long as we can." So far, approximately 30,000 shoes have been collected. Last year, the campaign gathered 40,000 pairs of shoes in 25 days.
by Daniel Hayduk - Story: 61653 Apr 28, 2011 / 5:00 am

For more information:

Jim Belshaw
Roy's Shoes, Boots and Repair
http://www.roysshoes.com/
1627 Ellis Street
Kelowna, BC V1Y 2A8
250-763-5696

Soles4Souls Shoe Sort Kelowna Canada 2011

For more information about donations contact:
Jim Belshaw Roy's Shoes, Boots and Repair
http://www.roysshoes.com/
Ellis Street Kelowna, BC V1Y 2A8
250-763-5696

UBC OKANAGAN EMPLOYEES…DONATING TO SOLES4SOULS

UBC OKANAGAN EMPLOYEES… CLEAN OUT YOUR CLOSETS

& DROP OFF YOUR GENTLY-USED SHOES TO

UNC 207 from April 26th to May 5th

Jim Belshaw of Kelowna’s Roy's Shoes has set a goal to collect 100,000 pairs of shoes in 25 days!

Last year, 7,000 pairs of the 40,000 pairs of shoes collected remained in the Okanagan and the remaining shoes were shipped to people most in need, primarily Haiti last year, and this year arrangements have already been made for Japan.

We ask that the shoes be gently used. All footwear is needed.

PLEASE TIE LACES OR PAIR USING ELASTICS.

We will have bins in UNC 207 and have received free shoe collection bins and pick up/drop off services from Kelowna’s Uniform Company, CINTAS.

For more information http://www.soles4soulscanada.com/
or http://soles4soulskelowna.blogspot.com/

Jim Belshaw
Roy's Shoes, Boots and Repair
http://www.roysshoes.com/
1627 Ellis Street
Kelowna, BC V1Y 2A8
250-763-5696

Student Julia Bower collects 500 pairs of shoes !!!

Student Julia Bower collected 500 pairs of shoes at her grade 8 home room class at Spring Valley Middle Scholl and her neighbors in Joe Rich.

To help contact:

Jim Belshaw
Roy's Shoes, Boots and Repair
http://www.roysshoes.com/
1627 Ellis Street
Kelowna, BC V1Y 2A8
250-763-5696

Starbucks Steps Up for Soles4Souls

Starbucks in the Okanagan has joined the effort to help raise shoes for Soles4Souls.

Drop off your gentle worn shoes and recieve a free coffee.

We all know Starbucks cafes can be found ANYWHERE AND EVERYWHERE, so for those of you who want to help via a donation, head to Starbucks!

Most of us do on a daily basis anyway!!!

For more information contact:

Jim Belshaw
Roy's Shoes, Boots and Repair

http://www.roysshoes.com/

1627 Ellis Street

Kelowna, BC V1Y 2A8
250-763-5696

Total Delivery leads shoe drive

Victoria-based Total Delivery Systems, a provincewide courier and distribution company, is going the extra mile for a worthwhile cause.

The company is collecting new and gently used shoes for the needy, and you can drop them off at Total's headquarters at 450 Banga Pl., just off Tennyson Avenue in Saanich, or any of the company's nine locations in B.C. Check their website: http://www.totaldeliverysystems.com/ 

Total is backing an initiative by the Kelowna Sunrise Rotary Club to collect 100,000 pairs of shoes in 25 days. The campaign started April 6 and runs through to the end of the month.

The Rotary Club has adopted Roy's Shoes Soles4Souls campaign, a charity that collects shoes from warehouses of footwear companies and the closets of homes around the world.

Since 2005, 13.5 million pairs have been given to those in need in 127 countries. -
Read more: http://www.timescolonist.com/Total+Delivery+leads+shoe+drive/4613512/story.html#ixzz1JsyBFqlT
 
For more info about soles4soulscanada contact:

Jim Belshaw
Roy's Shoes, Boots and Repair
http://www.roysshoes.com/
1627 Ellis Street
Kelowna, BC V1Y 2A8
250-763-5696

Kelowna Rockets Support the Soles4Souls Campaign

The Kelowna Rockets have put their support behind Jim Belshaw and the Soles4Souls campaign to raise 100,000 Pairs of Shoes in 25 days.

Jim Belshaw and Roy’s Shoes has entered in a partnership with the International Shoe Charity “Soles4Souls.”

Bring your gently worn shoes to the Kelowna Rockets vs Prince George Cougars Home Game at Prospera Place on April 13, 2011.

WE NEED YOU TO CLEAN OUT YOUR CLOSETS

Estimates show that every person has 3 to 4 pairs of shoes in their closet that they are not wearing any more, but are still in good shape. We ask that you clean out your closets and convince your friends, neighbours and relatives to do the same.

We ask that the shoes be gently used. All footwear including sandals and boots are needed.
The drop off center will be setup close to the main gate on Game day!!!

Jim Belshaw
Roy's Shoes, Boots and Repair
http://www.royshoes.com/
http://www.soles4soulscanada.com/  
1627 Ellis Street
Kelowna, BC
V1Y 2A8
250-763-5696

Shoe campaign seeks old soles - Soles4Souls Kelowna Canada

As Posted on Castanet - by Grant Scott - Story: 61313

On Wednesday, a unique campaign kicked off in Kelowna with the Roy’s Shoes Soles4Souls shoe campaign.

Jim BelshawRoy's Shoes, at 1627 Ellis Street in Kelowna has teamed up with the Kelowna Sunshine Rotary Club and committed to collect 1 million pairs of shoes within the next 5 years.

This year’s goal is to collect 100,000 pairs in 25 days. That's a significant increase over last year when the campaign collected over 40,000 pairs of Shoes in 25 days.

If the first couple of days is any indication, the goal is attainable.
"I've got four or five boxes filled up many times here already," says Jim Belshaw, the owner of Roy's Shoes. "Now that we have spread out all the way to Osoyoos, we're on the Island, in the Kootenay's, Kamloops has come on strong, so I think doubling or tripling last year's efforts is going to be an easy thing to do."

Last year 7,000 pairs of the 40,000 pairs of shoes collected remained in the Okanagan and were distributed out to the community through agencies like Gospel Mission, Now Canada, Kelowna Women’s Shelter and the Friendship Centre.

The remaining shoes were shipped to a Soles4Souls sorting centre in Nevada where they were resorted and shipped to the people most in need, primarily Haiti last year.

It's estimated every person has at least 3 or 4 pairs of shoes in their closet that are not worn any more but still in good shape. Belshaw hopes people will clean out their closets and convince friends, neighbours and relatives to do the same. Or, if they like, make a donation of new footwear.

"We had a lady yesterday who went to a store that had a sale on kids shoes. She bought over a dozen pairs of kids shoes and brought those in." says Belshaw.

All footwear including sandals and boots are accepted and needed, but please remember to tie the shoes together or use elastic bands to hold the shoes in pairs.

If you’re interested in supporting Soles4Souls’ relief efforts, you can drop off shoes at Roy’s Shoes, All Capri Insurance, Marks Work Wearhouse, McDonalds and OK Tire Shops, or anyone of the drop off locations listed at http://www.soles4soulscanada.com/   or call Roy’s Shoes 250-763-5696 for more information.

You can also make a cash donation that goes a long way.

"Last year, we could buy a brand new pair of sandals for $2.50. We've now bought so many shoes through head office that we can buy a brand new pair of shoes for a dollar." says Belshaw.

To make a cash donation go to http://www.kelownasunriserotary.com/ and click on link.

Since it’s inception in 2005 Soles4Souls have distributed over 13.5 million pairs of shoes, supports 127 countries and is committed to assisting Japan with 100,000 pairs of shoes already shipped with more to come.

Whether it’s Southeast Asia, New Orleans, Haiti, Africa, or Japan, Soles4Souls is committed to helping people in the midst of extreme poverty and those recovering from natural disasters by providing shoes that will protect them from disease and provide them a sense of hope for a better tomorrow.


Jim Belshaw
Roy's Shoes, Boots and Repair
http://www.roysshoes.com/
1627 Ellis Street
Kelowna, BC
V1Y 2A8
250-763-5696