Union County Animal Protection Society, www.ucapsshelter.org, is conducting a shoe drive fundraiser from Sunday through Dec. 15 to raise funds for the abused and abandoned animals in Union County, according to Sandra Maguire, president of UCAPS.
UCAPS will earn funds based on the total weight of the pairs of gently worn, used and new shoes collected, as Funds2Orgs will issue a check for the collected shoes. Those dollars will be used to vaccinate, feed and find homes for animals at the UCAPS shelter. Anyone can help by donating gently worn, used and new shoes at Petsense and Shelly’s Shoes. Other locations will be added, Maguire said.
All donated shoes will then be redistributed throughout the Funds2Orgs network of micro-enterprise (small business) partners. Funds2Orgs works with micro-entrepreneurs in helping them create, maintain and grow small businesses in developing countries where economic opportunity and jobs are limited. Proceeds from the sales of the shoes collected in shoe drive fundraisers are used to feed, clothe and house their families. One budding entrepreneur in Haiti even earned enough to send to her son to law school.
“We are excited about our shoe drive,” Maguire said. “We know that most people have extra shoes in their closets they would like to donate to us. By doing so, we raise money for the welfare of animals and we have the chance to help families in developing nations who need economic opportunities. It’s a win-win for everyone. UCAPS is a second chance shelter, we give every animal as many chances as necessary to find a good home. This partnership allows humans to have a second chance to also help their families and communities.”
By donating gently worn, used and new shoes to the UCAPS Shoes for Shelters Drive, the shoes will be given a second chance and make a difference in people’s lives around the world.
UCAPS is a nonprofit, 501c3 organization with the mission to feed, medicate and find homes for the abused and abandoned animals of Union County. UCAPS also promotes responsible pet ownership by providing low cost spay/neuter clinics and continues to work on educating the public about appropriate veterinarian care of all animals.