Thank You! for wanting to help Laces of Love.

Have a Shoe Party

HOW to HOST a SHOE PARTY for LACES of LOVE

  • Gather some of your favorite people from your community association, alumnae group, golfing buddies, tennis team, church group, sorority, bridge club, work colleagues, soccer moms, bowling league, your kids and their in-laws, neighbors, relatives, or good friends . . .
  • Invite them for brunch, lunch, tea, dinner, cocktails, a bar-b-que, dessert, your birthday, the holidays, a month in the country . . .
  • Ask them to bring one (or more) pair of NEW sneakers for a needy child. (ALL sizes are needed – we serve needy kids age 1 – 18. Shoes will be tagged with a “Laces of Love” tag and distributed through the public schools and/or organizations that serve needy children in Collier & Lee Counties.)
  • Give your guests a really good time!! AND … introduce them to Laces of Love via “Laces” handouts or a speaker from Laces of Love – contact Jeanne at 239-591-1172.
  • Encourage your guests to give a “Laces” Shoe Party or to make a monetary donation to Laces of Love (1976 Bethany Place, Naples 34109). 100% of monetary donations are used to purchase new shoes for needy kids.
  • Call Jeanne (239)-591-1172 to arrange a pick up for the shoes you have collected.
  • Receive a BIG THANK YOU on behalf of the kids who will now have a pair of shoes that fit and that they can be proud of thanks to YOU and Laces of Love.

After attending a FGCU Laces of Love Night event, Samantha Johnson was inspired. For her birthday, she asked for new shoes in lieu of birthday presents. She collected 21 pairs of new shoes! Thank you Samantha. 21 children who need shoes will be celebrating your Gifts of True Love.

The Morgan Stanley staff and administration hosted a month-long sock drive for Laces of Love right before back-to-school last August.  They also assisted as volunteers for Laces at several New Horizons Summer Outreach events.

Thank you Ashley and Nicole for organizing and helping with this fantastic donation of socks!   Many children in need will now receive new socks with their Laces of Love shoes, and their school year will start off on the right foot.

Thank you, again.  Way to go, Morgan Stanley!

How to Hold a Shoe Drive for Laces of Love

Be sure you have buy-in / approval from the Boss !!

  1. Choose a date (a day / a week / a month) that your colleagues will bring in ONE (or more !) pair of NEW sneakers for a child in need and publicize the Shoe Drive throughout your company.
  2. Let everyone know: We need sneakers: child size 3 – adult size 11 or 12 (the bigger the better – kids have big feet these days!).
  3. Contact The Shoe Lady, Jeanne, at Laces of Love (jnealon@lacesoflove.org  / 239-591-1172) for brochures, photos, thank you’s from kids and parents or other materials that will help you spread the word and demonstrate the NEED.
  4. If possible, schedule one of the Laces Board members to come out and speak to your company (Jeanne can schedule this). Hearing real life “Laces” stories will definitely increase your donations.
  5. Create a large drop off box or location for the shoes that are donated. We do NOT need or want the shoe boxes (boxes take up too much room), but do leave the paper stuffing in the shoes (some kids have never seen that), and ask folk to gently tie the shoes together with the shoelaces.
  6. All shoes will be tagged with a Laces of Love tag (so the parents know where the new shoes came from). Your employees can tag their shoes and write a short note (“Run Fast!” “Jump High!”) on the back of the tag if they wish. We will provide the tags and the “how to” for successful tagging … or we will tag the shoes later.
  7. Arrange with Jeanne or your board speaker/liaison for your company’s shoe donations to be picked up. And … receive a big THANK YOU on behalf of the kids who will now have good shoes that fit and that they are proud to wear!

 

Many people from other parts of the country become interested in providing shoes to needy kids in their own community. We have set up a page just for sharing our insights gained from operating Laces of Love.