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Rich Rosenberg
Elmhurst Camera
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Elmhurst, IL 60126
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Press
Soles for Africa Still Sending, Collecting Shoe Donations
Elmhurst Press
Posted May 14, 2010
Elmhurst, IL — A local charity that already has provided more than 1,000 pairs of shoes to African children continues to collect donations of gently used footwear.Last week, volunteers sorted through about 1,000 pairs of recently donated shoes, according to Rich Rosenberg, chairman of the Elmhurst-based Soles for Africa nonprofit.
About 400 of those pairs now await shipment to Botswana while the receiving organizations clear customs, while 300 other pairs that would not be practical for children or the African climate, such as high heels or winter boots, were donated to Goodwill, according to Rosenberg. Other shoes that Rosenberg said were not able to be donated because of their poor condition had to be thrown out.
“The shoes going to Africa, those are in the garage (waiting to be shipped) right now,” Rosenberg said. “The third degree (of shoes) is totally useless, mud-strewn; they’re just outworn. They’re simply the rejects.”
Because the shoes must be in good condition to be reused, Rosenberg said people should be sure donations are only gently used. Soles for Africa collects the shoes year-round at Rosenberg’s business, Elmhurst Camera, 535 Spring Road, and the nonprofit’s next local drive will begin in September. Most donated shoes will go to nonprofits in either Botswana, Namibia, South Africa, or Uganda.
For information about Rosenberg’s nonprofit, visit solesforafrica.org.
Copyright 2010 Elmhurst Press. Some rights reserved. Reprinted with permission.
Soles for Africa is a division of Special Kids Day,
a 501(c)3, all-volunteer, charity.
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