The Chesapeake Foot and Ankle Center has formed a partnership with Soles4Soles, an international charity that donates footwear to needy people around the globe. We encourage everyone to donate and recycle new or “gently worn” shoes to our podiatry office. Every 19 seconds, Soles4Souls gives away another pair of shoes to someone in need.

“Imagine going to school or work and conducting your daily activities while barefoot, because you cannot afford shoes,” explained Dr. Ira Gottlieb, founder of The Chesapeake Foot and Ankle Center. “This is the situation faced by more than 300 million people around the world, leaving them at ri sk for injury and disease. This shoe drive represents our inaugural effort to help this organization, and we will also be looking for other meaningful activities as well,” he added.

It is estimated that Americans have 1.5 billion pairs of unused shoes lying in their closets. The charity can use each and every one of these pairs to make a tangible difference in someone’s life. Soles4Souls has distributed more than 3.9 million pairs of shoes to people in more than 70 countries, including Honduras, Uganda, Romania, and the United States.

The Nashville-based organization regularly supports Women Domestic Abuse Shelters around the country, and is in need of black, brown, and navy low heel shoes that are used during job searches. The organization is providing two pairs of shoes fo r up to 6,000 children that attend one of 140 camps that focus on abused and neglected children. The primary need for this group is tennis shoes and active footwear. Crocs and flip flops are also needed.