Thousands of meals packed, clothing parcels assembled, highway debris cleared
WALTHAM, MA and NEW YORK, NY — April 9, 2014 – During the first week of the month-long community service campaign, the footwear industry banded together in volunteerism across the country to make a positive impact in the lives of many people. Through the month of April, Footwear Cares® will unite 100 footwear companies and 6,000 volunteers in a variety of community service projects across the United States.
Participating in seven different states at 14 different events, shoe companies and their employees worked with local non-profits to pack meals, paint murals for a children’s hospital, assemble kids’ clothing packs and clean up trash and debris along highways. The activities were all part of an unprecedented footwear industry community service project spearheaded by Two Ten Footwear Foundation and sponsored by Amazon Fashion.
Here are Footwear Cares first week accomplishments by the numbers.
• At Northwest Harvest in Kent, WA, volunteers packaged 3,200 pound of peas, enough for 2,461 meals, and 5,750 pounds of dried pinto beans, enough for 4,423 meals
• At the St. Louis Area Food Bank in MO, volunteers packed 9,404 meals and another 3,500 meals at God’s Love We Deliver in Brooklyn, NY
• 14,194 meals were sorted and packed at the Greater Boston Food Bank in MA
• 25 bags of rubbish were removed from a stretch of highway in PA
• 7 murals were painted for a children’s hospital in NY
• Clothing packs for 1,106 kids were assembled at Cradles to Crayons in Brighton, MA
• 8,502 meals were sorted at the Mid Ohio Food Bank
• 300 pounds of donated shoes and clothing were distributed to Cash4Shooz in Irvine, CA
“National Footwear Cares Month got off to a fantastic start. Shoe companies and their employees flew out of the gates and gave this unprecedented national campaign an amazing start,” said Neal Newman, president of Two Ten Footwear Foundation. “And we’re not resting on our laurels. We fully expect the next three weeks of Footwear Cares to be every bit as strong as week one.”
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
