Shoes of Hope Shoes of Hope is Samaritan's Feet's primary effort for distributing shoes and socks both domestically and internationally. In addition to giving away footwear, the program also features volunteers washing the feet of the recipient and talking with them about "their dreams and their lives." During 2013, the Shoes of Hope campaign was responsible for distributing 15,864 pairs of shoes and socks in the United States alone, followed a year later by 17,566 worldwide. Within the Shoes of Hope program, there are specific efforts for both domestic and international missions.
In the United States During the 2013 holiday season, Samaritan's Feet partnered with the
University of California, Los Angeles'
women's basketball team to donate over 500 pairs of new shoes and socks to the students of Rosemont Avenue Elementary School in the
Los Angeles Unified School District. Between October 2014 and April 2015, Indiana's credit unions and Samaritan's Feet partnered to distribute over 1000 pairs of shoes across the state of
Indiana. On October 11, 2015,
University of Central Arkansas athletes partnered with Samaritan's Feet to distribute over 300 pairs of shoes to children in need in
Conway,
Arkansas. On October 18, 2015, Samaritan's Feet partnered with four athletic teams from the
University of Mary to serve over 400 children in
Bismarck,
North Dakota with new shoes and socks. In 2017, the Foundation of the Carolinas awarded Samaritan's Feet with a $20,000 grant. Students at Sherwood Park Elementary School (all 425 students), J.W. Coon Elementary School and Mary McArthur Elementary School received new shoes.
Back to School Each year during the months of July through September, Samaritan's Feet focuses their domestic operations on preparing school-aged children for school by providing new shoes and socks for the upcoming academic year. In 2013, Samaritan's Feet provided almost 24,000 children with new footwear, as well as inspiration and encouragement for their upcoming studies. This number increased to nearly 34,000 during the 2014 campaign. On August 9, 2015, Samaritan's Feet distributed over 200 pairs of shoes to children in
Columbia,
South Carolina as a part of their 2015 "Back to School" campaign. During the 2009 edition of
Taylor University's
Silent Night, students donated over 400 pairs of shoes that were later distributed by
Taylor students working with Samaritan's Feet in five communities in the
Dominican Republic during their 2010 spring break. == Partners ==