Exeter Hospital Workers Collecting Shoes for Charity

Editor's note: This is the second in a series of Greatest Person profiles on Exeter Patch highlighting people who make extraordinary contributions to the community. Have someone you think is doing great things in the community? E-mail jason.claffey@patch.com!

Through Dec. 2, Exeter Hospital Core Podiatry workers are collecting shoes for charity.

The workers are collecting the shoes for Soles4Souls, which provides free shoes to people in need all over the world. The organization says it gives away a pair of shoes every seven seconds, and that American have 1.5 billion pairs of unused shoes lying in their closets.

“We talk with patients about shoes each day and often have patients bring in multiple pairs of shoes to be evaluated,” said Jim Dolan, of the Core Podiatry. “Collecting gently worn shoes is a natural fit for a podiatrist’s office and a great way to help people who really need shoes.

"Last year we collected over 1,600 pairs of shoes and this year we hope to collect more than 2,000 pairs.”

Soles4Shoes founder Wayne Elsey said his organization is trying to change the world "one pair of shoes at a time."

"It is one of the most simple, yet profound gifts you can make, because it will greatly improve someone’s life in the most difficult of times,” he said.

Gently worn shoes can be dropped off at Core Podiartry at 21 Hampton Road, Building 1 in Exeter.

For more information about the shoe drive, contact Core Podiatry at 603-658-0190.