There are many things you can do to help make your shoe drive a success – just follow our tips below!
1. Ask permission and choose your dates.
If you are planning a collection at your church, business or school, be sure to get permission from a pastor, company official or school principal. You also need to confirm the dates on your organization’s calendar. The average shoe drive lasts one month.
2. Publicize early.
 Start letting people know two to four weeks before your drive that your collection is coming up.
• Put up the posters and pass out the brochures. Display the brochures
in a prominent place.
• Run an article in your newsletter.
• Decorate a bulletin board and a barrel or box for the shoe donations.
• Share it on your social networks! Tweet photos of your shoe drive
progress, or post them on
Facebook. Tag us when you post your drive!
www.facebook.com/shoesfororphansouls
• We also have lots of shareable shoe videos on our YouTube page –
www.youtube.com/bucknerintl. Check it out!
• Don’t forget to contact your local media (newspaper, radio and TV). You can download a sample
news release here.
3. Show the video included in your shoe drive kit.
 The images in the video are a powerful way to get people to understand the
need. Show it to Sunday school classes, youth groups, Vacation Bible School
programs, businesses and service groups.
4. Collect.
Pick a highly visible site for your collection box and make sure the deadline is displayed prominently. The greatest need is new athletic shoes, sizes youth 1 through adult size 7.
5. Keep the excitement up.
• Remind people of the impending deadline.
• Let people know on a regular basis how many shoes you have collected and how close you are
to your goal.
• Share the type and size of shoes needed – leather or canvas athletic shoes in all sizes.
• Make it into a competition – one department versus another, boys versus girls, one grade versus
the next.
6. Schedule a packing day or prayer day.
 Schedule a day to get a team together to prepare and pack the shoes. This is a great
fellowship time for your group and truly helps everyone realize that each pair of
shoes represents a child. Have your church, Sunday School class or youth group
pray for that child that will receive the pair of shoes!
7. Ship.
Each group is responsible for shipping costs to get the shoes to our warehouse in Mesquite, Texas. Please try to ship your shoes within two weeks of the end of your drive. Please download the packing form as this will help us in tracking your shoe shipment.
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