Buckner International and Dallas-based radio station KCBI are donating more than 1,500 shoes collected in August through the DFW Shoe Drive to Hurricane Harvey victims who are seeking shelter in the Dallas/Fort Worth area. 

Southeast Texas evacuees are headed to the DFW Metroplex with little but the clothes on their back, according to officials. Those victims are needing practical items like hygiene products, clothes and shoes, which have been ruined by water damage. 

For the last month, Buckner Shoes for Orphan Souls®, KCBI, and 10 other churches and businesses have collected shoes to benefit children in North Texas and around the world. When leaders saw the plight of those in Southeast Texas as Harvey pounded the region, they sought a way to provide hope and comfort to families who have lost everything due to flooding. 

“We have around 1,500 pairs of shoes so far, and there is still time for people to contribute,” said Rachel Wallis, director of Shoes for Orphan Souls. “We know how a brand new pair of shoes to a child in need can help bring some comfort during such a devastating time. This is a great opportunity for us to help our neighbors and hopefully give these families hope for the future.” 

The DFW community has always stepped up to care for the vulnerable and have responded enthusiastically to the shoe drive, Wallis said. 

“KCBI listeners never cease to amaze me with their generosity and Christ-like desire to help,” said Matt Austin, general manager of KCBI. “I’m thrilled that we can be a part of this important effort to provide for these precious children from Houston and South Texas in their time of need.” 

The drive will continue through August 31, and those interested in donating can find collection sites at buckner.org/dfwshoedrive. 

Buckner Shoes for Orphan Souls is Buckner International’s largest humanitarian aid project, distributing more than 3 million pairs of shoes to children in more than 82 countries. 

The partnership between Buckner and KCBI goes back to the beginning of Shoes for Orphan Souls, when the radio station started the drive in 1994 and then asked Buckner to take it over in 1999. Since the beginning of the program, more than 3.2 million pairs of shoes have been collected and distributed around the world.