DALLAS – Last Saturday outside the Dallas Convention Center, thousands of people huddled together, wrapped in blankets, waiting for 8:30 a.m. when the doors would open for the 8th Annual Christmas Gift 2011.

“We were told that some people even came Friday night and camped out to make sure they had a good spot in line,” said Brittany Sumrall, volunteer coordinator for Shoes for Orphan Souls®, the largest humanitarian aid project of Buckner International. “This event fills such an important need in our community.”

Christmas Gift, an event run by Operation Care International, served more than 8,000 homeless people, veterans and low-income families last weekend with gifts, new clothes, warm meals, haircuts and new shoes. Buckner has participated in the event since it began in 2004 and donated more than 4,500 pairs of new shoes this year.

“The shoes provided are an incredible help to this ministry,” said Susie Jennings, founder of Operation Care. “They are the lifeline in the foot washing area.”

Jennings founded Operation Care in 1993 to provide for the physical needs of impoverished children and the homeless. Every December the organization partners with charities, churches, corporate and small business sponsors, individual sponsors and donors to hold the “nation’s largest Christmas party for the homeless.”

“Partnership is vital to this ministry,” Jennings said. “Each of our partners functions as the hands and feet of Jesus.”

Volunteer help is also essential. It took more than 3,000 volunteers to pull off Christmas Gift this year. At the foot washing station, kneeling before rows of chairs with paper towels, wet wipes and sanitizer, volunteers washed guests’ feet and fitted them with new socks and shoes. 

“I was nervous about signing up for foot washing, but I felt it was where I should spend my time,” one volunteer said. “I’m so glad I went through with it. It’s been emotional and life changing.”

Buckner collects shoes year-round through its worldwide Shoes for Orphan Souls project. Since 1999, Shoes for Orphan Souls has collected and distributed more than 2.2 million pairs of new shoes to 74 countries around the world. About 20 percent of shoes collected by Buckner help vulnerable children and families in the U.S.

“Susie told me that every guest that needed a pair of shoes received a pair of shoes,” said Mike Julian, logistics manager for the Buckner Center for Humanitarian Aid. “That is a blessing!”

To learn more about the events and ministries of Operation Care International, visit their website at http://www.opcare.org/. For information about Shoes for Orphan Souls, visit http://shoesfororphansouls.org/.

Carmen Brown of The Joy FM goofs around with band members from MIKESCHAIR on their shoe collection day in Florida. (PHOTO/Ezekiel Merino of Ezekiel Photography)

By Lauren Hollon Sturdy
Buckner International

Radio stations around the country wrapped up “shoe drive season” at the end of August in their annual effort to support Shoes for Orphan Souls. Some stations have been participating for as many as eight years.

“Radio stations are very important to our ministry,” said Julia Stark, program manager for Shoes for Orphan Souls. “They help spread the word about the needs of children around the world and in the United States who don’t have shoes. And they are in a unique position where they are able to get their listeners in the community to come together and serve with one common goal—giving children hope through a pair of shoes.”

Participating stations this year included The Joy FM in Sarasota, Fla., WMBW in Chattanooga, Tenn., WFCM in Tenn., WBFJ in Winston-Salem, N.C., WDLM in East Moline, Ill., WBGL in Champaign, Ill., KLBT in Beaumont, Texas, and KGLE in Glendive, Mont.

Together, these stations collected 46,335 pairs of shoes and 41,579 pairs of socks.

“About a third of our total shoes received each year come from radio station shoe drives,” Stark said. “We couldn’t do what we do without these stations and their listeners.”

For more information about Shoes for Orphan Souls, visit www.shoesfororphansouls.com.

This is the second year the students have performed at the mall as a fundraiser for Shoes for Orphan Souls, the largest humanitarian aid project of Buckner International. Since 1999, Shoes for Orphan Souls has distributed more than 2.2 million pairs of new shoes to orphans and vulnerable children in 74 countries worldwide.

Karen Lim-Smith of Music Starz Studio is organizing the event for the second year. Last year, the musicians raised more than $4,000 for the organization. This year they hope to raise more.

“Our goal is to raise $10,000 to provide new shoes for orphans,” Smith said. “My husband Jay and I have participated in shoe drives with Buckner before, but we know our ability to make an impact alone is limited. We thought this was a great way to get more people involved to make a difference during the holidays.”

She added that their ability to share music with holiday shoppers is a result of students and professionals “taking time off to contribute and share their musical talents and efforts for this wonderful and noble cause. Jay and I plan to do this for the next 30 years.”

Musicians will continue to perform throughout the holiday season at the following dates and times:

• Dec. 10:  10:30 a.m. – 12 p.m.; 6 – 9 p.m.
• Dec. 11:  5 – 7 p.m.
• Dec. 18:  5 – 7 p.m.
• Dec. 19-23:  12 p.m. – 8:30 p.m.

Buckner International has been making life better for orphans, vulnerable children and families since 1879. To learn more, visit www.buckner.org.

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Click on the first photo below to start the slideshow.

 

Jim Sundberg places shoes on the feet of a special needs child.

Rangers Hall of Famer Jim Sundberg, Chief Operating Officer Rick George, and All-Star pitcher Alexi Ogando helped Buckner put new shoes on the feet of more than 230 orphans Nov. 15. The group was joined by players from the Rangers’ Dominican Academy who conducted a baseball clinic for the children. 

“Getting new shoes and meeting such tremendous role models on the same day had such a great impact on these children,” according to Buckner Vice President Scott Collins. “We’re so grateful to the Rangers for their dedication and desire to be such a positive influence in the lives of others.” 

“It was great to partner with Buckner International to allow these children the opportunity to meet our future players and to be able to provide them shoes that are so needed,” commented George.  “It is important for our organization to give back to the communities that we are in and it was an outstanding experience for our players and staff to have this interaction.” 

During the clinic, Rangers players worked with the children in stations to teach fundamentals such as base running, throwing, hitting, and basic stretching exercises. 

“It was so impressive to watch these talented young baseball players work with children who have been through so much in their young lives,” Collins said. 

Collins said he was also touched by the sight of Ogando, Sundberg, and George “kneeling down on the floor and putting shoes on the feet of the children. I can’t begin to tell you what it meant to the children and to me personally to see the humility of these men.” 

The event was hosted by Buckner International as part of its Shoes for Orphan Souls® program. Each year, Buckner distributes more than 200,000 new shoes worldwide to vulnerable children. Since 1999, Buckner has given away more than 2.2 million pairs of shoes. 

Buckner began work in the Dominican Republic in 2009. Along with distributing humanitarian aid to the country, Buckner opened its first Community Transformation Center in the DR last year and plans to launch two additional CTCs in 2012. In addition, Buckner is in the process of developing a plan to operate a foster care program in the future. 

The Buckner CTCs provide supplemental education to children in poverty-stricken communities by offering music, literature, Bible, and vocabulary classes through an after-school program. Other programs include personal growth classes such as hygiene, self-esteem, and parenting instruction. A new computer lab for at-risk youth is also set to open soon. 

In September, the Texas Rangers worked Buckner to host more than 250 Dallas-area children served by Buckner at a game with the Seattle Mariners. The Rangers Foundation also presented a check to Buckner to support the 132-year-old organization’s work in the community.

Buckner International is a global non-profit ministry that seeks to make life better for orphans, vulnerable children and families.

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Click here to see a slideshow of photos from the trip!

“The turnout was wonderful,” said Julia Stark, program manager of Shoes for Orphan Souls. “It was much, much higher than we expected, and it was such a fun community atmosphere. It was great to see families come together and run together to raise awareness about the needs of orphans and vulnerable children who go without shoes.”

The event raised money to benefit children in Africa, and participants said they had a great time doing it.

“We received many, many compliments from people telling us how much they enjoyed the event,” said Rachel Garton, director of Shoes for Orphan Souls. “We also heard a lot of great things from the runners about how beautiful the running trails were at Andy Brown Park.”

The male overall winner was Clint Bell, with a time of 15:58.00. The female overall winner was Susan Whiting, who finished with a time of 19:53.00.

Several dozen participants ran barefoot, Stark said. Jason Hoofnagle was the male overall barefoot winner, coming in at 23:14.00. The female overall barefoot winner was Toni Marshall, with a time of 29:12.00.

“We look forward to hosting a race again next year and to building on the great support we received from the community,” Stark said.

To see photos from this year’s race, check out the race photo album on the Shoes for Orphans Souls Facebook page at www.facebook.com/shoesfororphansouls.

Ron and Rebecca Pyle used their wedding as a chance to affect children's lives.

By Lauren Hollon Sturdy
Buckner International

Two Texas brides who love for Shoes for Orphan Souls almost as much as they love their new husbands turned their summer nuptials into an opportunity for their guests to be part of something bigger.

Taking a Risk

Amy Duncan, 25, spent her summer as a volunteer with Buckner in Guatemala after she graduated from Baylor in 2008.

“We did a shoe trip while I was there,” she said. “I’ve always wanted to work with orphans, and when I saw the need and saw what shoes meant to the kids, it just touched my heart. It’s just amazing how those children would line up for shoes. They have nothing.”

“I’ve always wanted to do a shoe drive since I got back from Guatemala,” Duncan said.

After she and her now-husband, Scott Stier, got engaged, they talked about trading in a traditional gift registry for a request for shoes.

Photo courtesy of Allison Notgrass, Focal Point Photographics

She worried about what people would think of having a shoe drive instead of traditional wedding gifts. She also realized her wedding was a one-time event and that they would use the gifts they received for the rest of their married lives.

“In the end, my husband Scott and I wanted to start our lives out service-oriented, because that’s what marriage is,” Duncan said. “It’s about coming together and serving others and Christ for the rest of your life.”

Duncan said she and her husband were blessed beyond what they could have imagined, receiving all the things they needed to set up their home in several bridal showers in Duncan’s honor.

Photo courtesy of Allison Notgrass, Focal Point Photographics

The shoe drive wedding reception was also a bigger blessing and a bigger hit with the guests than Duncan and her husband expected. Everyone loved having the opportunity to participate in ministry with their wedding gift.

“Little old ladies would come up to me in the weeks before the wedding and say, ‘I’ve got my shoes for the wedding!’ but it was shoes to give to the orphans, not to wear with their dress,” she said.

They collected 145 pairs of shoes at their reception, and several guests made donations to Shoes for Orphan Souls in the couple’s honor. 

‘Tis Better to Give

Rebecca Morton Pyle started planning her first wedding at 56.

“I had a great first half of my life,” she said. “It was never a life-or-death, ‘I have to get married’ situation. But I wanted a different second half of my life, so I intentionally sought out God’s choice.”

She found her husband, Ron Pyle, through eHarmony.   She committed to spend six months using the website, and when she first set up her profile, Ron had just decided to take a break from using the site. They nearly missed finding each other completely; he didn’t log on again until her six months were almost up. The Lubbock couple dated for more than a year before they married in June.

“I went to Oaxaca last November on my first Shoes for Orphan Souls mission trip, and it just captured my heart,” she said.  “When we were planning the wedding, we decided we didn’t need more stuff. We wanted to encourage generosity to a charity and we chose Buckner, so we decided to ask our guests to participate in a Shoes for Orphan Souls wedding shoe drive.”

They kept their wedding small and married in Lewisville, Texas, near Ron’s family. About 60 guests attended and 123 pairs of shoes were collected.

Scott Collins, vice president of communications for Buckner and a longtime friend of the bride, attended the wedding and spoke about the mission of Shoes for Orphan Souls at the reception.

“It was a traditional wedding in every way, except the reception,” Collins said. “It was a thrill to walk into the reception area at the wedding and see tables piled high with shoes. That Rebecca and Ron would give up wedding gifts in favor of gifts for orphan children says so much about them and their love for children.”

He picked up a zebra-striped pair of shoes from the collection table and told Pyle he would deliver them to a child in Kenya in July.

“When he sent me a picture of the girl who got that pair of shoes, I got goose bumps,” Pyle said. “It was an immediate gratification to see that photo and to be reminded that these are real people the shoes go to.”

“Because of this, other people have heard about Shoes for Orphan Souls from our guests telling the story to other people,” she said. “I think that’s so cool, because it’s not about me and Ron – it’s about the kids who need shoes and how we can help.”

To learn more about hosting a shoe drive, visit www.shoesfororphansouls.org.

The Shoes for Orphan Souls™ program at Buckner began running low last spring—and the shoe inventory at our warehouse in Dallas is still below the demand.

We are asking good friends like you to help Buckner replenish our shoe supply so more bare, bruised, and injured little feet will be protected by a new pair of shoes.

Flow Interrupted

Julia Stark, the Shoes for Orphan Souls program manager, said that under normal conditions, “We have shoes going out the door constantly. A supply never sits in our warehouse for long.”

But according to Matt Asato, director for International Humanitarian Aid, the shortage has delayed a shipment of shoes to India. “The shoes were scheduled to leave in August, but we’ve had to push the delivery back to next year,” he explains.

“It’s just that much longer that the children are going without the shoes they need. That’s a major concern, given the scope of the program. For instance, Buckner shipped more than 48,000 pairs of shoes to Haiti last year. And recently we made one last shipment of 9,000 pairs.”

Asato adds that the remaining shoe need for all 2011 Buckner programs is about 80,000 pairs. He also says the goal for this year is to distribute 150,000 pairs of shoes, which includes those sent through ministry partners.

“These ministry partnerships are key for Buckner,” Stark says. “We are working with more ministries than in years past. It’s thrilling to be able to help so many boys and girls.”

“But it means the demand for shoes is year-round, rather than just at back-to-school time. So the drive for shoes has to be year-round too.”

Ways to Help

We are praying for your involvement to help overcome the current shortage of new children’s shoes at Buckner.

You can make an immediate impact through a generous contribution to Shoes for Orphan Souls. Your gift will provide a needy child with a pair of shoes and a chance at a better life—literally, because children without shoes are not allowed to attend school in many parts of the world!

You may also want to organize a shoe drive at your workplace, church, or civic club. Buckner will provide everything your group needs for a successful effort. Visit www.shoesfororphansouls.com to learn more about hosting a shoe drive and to sign up.

Please pray about how you can help at this time of low supplies for Buckner and Shoes for Orphan Souls.

“Barefoot running has become a popular trend, but it’s something the kids we serve around the world face every day,” she said. “They run barefoot because they have to, not by choice. We hope that by hosting a barefoot run we can help raise awareness of the need for shoes and have fun, as well.”

Prizes and medals will be awarded to the winners who run the race barefoot or with shoes. Special games and activities, like the Shoe-put Toss, will also be provided for children or adults who want to participate at the race. All proceeds from the race will benefit children in Africa who need shoes. 

Sponsorships are available for businesses or organizations. For more information on sponsorships or to volunteer, please e-mail shoesfororphansouls@buckner.org or call 1-866-774-SHOE.

To sign up for the race or to learn more, visit www.shoesfororphansouls.org/barefootrun.

In partnership with the other 54 Rotary Clubs in Missouri Rotary District 6040, a total of 16,350 pairs of shoes, 1,372 pairs of socks and over $11,000 were collected for international orphans in the Dominican Republic.  This humanitarian aid was collected during the 14-stop Shoes Caravan, starting in Kansas City on April 28 and ending in Kirksville on April 30.

Missouri Rotary remains the largest single contributing organization to the Shoes for Orphan Souls campaign to date, collecting a total of 207,000 pairs of shoes and $78,000 in cash since the first shoe drive in 2001.

United Parcel Service partnered with Rotary District 6040 to provide transportation for the collection, from the final caravan stop in Kirksville, Missouri to the Buckner Center for Humanitarian Aid in Dallas, Texas.

“UPS encourages its employees to volunteer and give back to the community in which we live,” said Elizabeth George, UPS district human resources manager. “Since we are a global company, I felt this was a project we could use to not only help our community, but also the children of many nations.”

Rachel Garton, director of Buckner Shoes for Orphan Souls, said that Buckner is “extremely grateful” for the shoe donation this year, as well as for all of the donations they have received from Rotary District 6040 in the past.

“Rotary’s consistency over 10 years has allowed us to send more shoes to children around the world, and ultimately, opened the door for us to share love and care with more children who otherwise wouldn’t receive it,” she said.

“No other organization has had the willpower and vision to involve so many people to make a difference as Rotary has.”

Since 1999, Shoes for Orphan Souls has delivered more than 2.0 million pairs of shoes and socks to orphan children in 69 countries. Shoes for Orphan Souls is a ministry of Buckner International, a Dallas-based global ministry dedicated to the restoration and healing of orphans and at-risk children, families and senior adults.

Rotary is an organization of business and professional leaders united worldwide who provide humanitarian service and help build goodwill and peace throughout the world. There are approximately 1.2 million Rotarians who are members of more than 33,000 Rotary clubs in nearly 170 countries.

Story from Rotary District 6040 website.