To raise social awareness as well as money for its activities, the Redlands Church of Christ is partnering through Aug.
30 with the national Soles4Souls shoe charity, which provides shoes for people in need around the world. Every 13 seconds, the organization gives a pair of shoes to someone who needs them in the U.S. or abroad, the organization’s officials say. “We felt that this was a good thing to expose our teens to as well as show the community we are reaching out so that we may add to our membership,” Partain said. “At this time of year, when we are scrambling to buy back-to-school items for our kids, we thought this fundraiser would be a good way to raise awareness about those in need of the most basic living essentials,” he said. Like many other schools and organizations, Redlands Church of Christ uses fundraising programs to generate revenue for its operations and goals. The Soles4Souls program provides an alternative to traditional fundraisers, so students can raise money while making a difference in the lives of others, Partain said. After a kick-off at the beginning of August, students have been collecting monetary donations from family, friends, teachers and neighbors to buy new Soles4Souls clogs or flip-flops. Soles4Souls then ships the shoes to people in need.
“They have helped people in New Orleans after Hurricane Katrina as well as needy children in New York City,” Partain said.