The new chapter of Soles4Souls met for the first time last Wednesday, Oct. 24. President Sara Snyder and Vice President Jasmine Everett, both first-year students, have been promoting the club and are looking forward to its commencement.
Soles4Souls is a national shoe charity that procures new and gently-used shoes for those in need, helping both local communities as well as those around the globe. Including Pepperdine, the charity’s College Chapter Program recognizes 40 Soles4Souls chapters on campuses nationwide.
Snyder became involved with the organization years ago.
Although Snyder had previous experience with the charity in Nashville, Tenn., her hometown and the charity’s homebase, it wasn’t until she came to Pepperdine that she considered establishing a chapter of her own.
Snyder and Everett decided to launch the Soles4Souls chapter on campus after completing a project together for their International Human Rights seminar. The project encouraged students to research possible campus advocacies, and to consider how they could start their own. Because of Snyder’s previous involvement with Soles4Souls, the pair chose to research it further.
“This charity captured my attention because I feel like shoes are something everyone takes for granted.” Everrett said. “The idea that there are still people who have never had a pair of shoes seems sad, when all we have to do is go down the street to pick up a pair at the shops,”
It was only a matter of time before the women’s project became a reality.
“I was interested in getting involved on campus and this kind of popped up,” said Snyder. “It was the perfect opportunity.”
Once they committed to their decision, they contacted Soles4Souls and made the club official.
Happy Feet Pepperdine, another service-based club, also launched this fall. The goal of Happy Feet Pepperdine is to meet a health care need in the local homeless population, while Soles4Souls will focus on providing for international communities.
Although Soles4Souls has not yet officially begun, its leaders have already planned its first event. The club will be hosting a Soles4Souls shoe drive Nov. 2 through Nov. 16 in order to collect students’ new and slightly used shoes. Donation boxes will be dispersed throughout campus.
“We are looking for moderately-used to new shoes and tennis shoes are preferred, but Soles4Souls accepts any type,” Snyder said.
Throughout the year, the club will also focus on fundraising and creating awareness for its initiative.
“Most people don’t know that Soles4Souls sponsors numerous micro-enterprises. They support businesses in third world countries so that vendors can support themselves and their communities,” Snyder said.
Ultimately, Snyder and Everett hope that Pepperdine’s chapter of Soles4Souls will make a difference by contributing to the organization’s global efforts.
“I think that being involved in Soles4Souls is a chance for students to get more involved and to have a personal connection while making a difference internationally,” said Snyder.
Shoes For Tomorrow (SFT) is another club on campus that provides shoes to those in need. Sophomore Carissa Heller founded the club last year. Heller said Soles4Souls and SFT are similar in that with TOMs, a for-profit company, each shoe purchased is matched with a donated pair to a child in need.
Our mission for the club is to raise awareness about the need of shoes for children and spread the TOMS one for one movement,” Heller wrote from her study abroad program in Shanghai. “It is something that we take for granted but some children across the world are underprivileged and can’t even go to school sometimes.”
While studying abroad, Heller said the club is on hold until she returns next year. She continues to advocate “the TOMS movement” and plans to do an event with a local school in Shanghai in the spring.
Last year, the TOMS club participated in Style your Sole and One Day without shoes.
