Soles4Souls and Caleres hit Harlem last week to outfit more than 200 local students in need with new sneakers.
About 30 volunteers from Caleres’ New York office joined staff members from the Nashville, Tenn.-based nonprofit for the “4EveryKid” event, held at P.S. 194 Countee Cullen.
“The majority of the shoe and sock distributions through 4EveryKid happen privately through the schools to ensure the dignity of the students we serve,” said Mike Shirey, chief operating officer and executive vice president of circularity at Soles4Souls. “But these events allow the kids to celebrate — and partners like Caleres to volunteer alongside us — and see firsthand how their partnership is helping children succeed both here in New York City and across the country.”
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Since the program started in 2020, more than 650,000 students have received new athletic shoes through 4EveryKid. This year alone, Soles4Souls — which turns 20 this year — will host between 35-40 4EveryKid events across about 30 different cities in the US and Canada.
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Shirey said the group acquires new sneakers in two different ways — through product donations from brands and distributors and also via monetary donations that give Soles4Souls the opportunity to purchase shoes directly and scale the program accordingly.
“These donations from donors and partners allow us to acquire new, high‑quality footwear at a low cost and ensure we can reliably meet the needs of these students,” Shirey said.
Separately, Soles4Souls on Monday was named one of the top 50 best nonprofits to work for by The NonProfit Times.