West Columbia, SC 04/18/2022 - Keep the Midlands Beautiful’s (KMB) annual shoe drive fundraiser is 6 weeks in and will continue through May 31, 2022. So far, volunteers have collected 1,325 shoes to KMB’s office and KMB has 28 host sites still collecting shoes. The shoe drive helps KMB to raise funds to support its mission to engage, inspire and educate the Midlands to invest in our community through litter prevention, recycling, and beautification.
There is still time to help by dropping off gently worn, used and new shoes at any time at KMB’s office at 1305 Augusta Road in West Columbia. If your local business, school, church, or neighborhood association would like to host a collection bin, please contact KMB at 803-733-1139 or lblakeorr@kmbsc.org for more information. KMB’s other public hosting sites are listed below:
Town of Irmo Administration Building: 7300 Woodrow St. Irmo, SC 29063
Cayce West Columbia Rotary Club: 1305 Redwood drive, West Columbia SC
The SC State Museum: 301 Gervais Street, Columbia, SC 29201
Zebra Dry Cleaners: 101 Ivy Park Lane, Lexington, SC 29072 or 11107 Broad River Rd., Irmo 29063
Chapin Chamber of Commerce: 302 Columbia Ave, Chapin, SC 29036
KMB earns money based on the total weight of the shoes collected. Those dollars are allocated towards core programs including purchase of signs, work gloves, and litter grabbers for dedicated volunteers to conduct more litter pickups across the City of Columbia, and Richland and Lexington counties. All donated shoes will be redistributed throughout the Funds2Orgs network of micro-enterprise partners in developing nations. Funds2Orgs works with micro-entrepreneurs to create, maintain, and grow small businesses that sell shoes, which improves their family’s livelihood.
“It’s a win for everyone” said Marissa DiMaria, Core Programs Intern. “Shoes are kept out of landfills and those shoes collected are being sold to micro-enterprises to help developing countries out of systematic poverty. In addition, KMB uses the funds collected from the shoes to help support volunteers conduct more litter cleanups to promote beautification around Columbia, it couldn’t be a greater turnout!”
In 2021, 27 community partners and a host of individuals helped KMB collect 6225 pairs of shoes, almost double the record amount collected in 2020. Help KMB reach its goal of collecting 6500 pairs in 2022!
