Shoes for the Souls to benefit the Atlanta homeless community

 For Immediate Release: Contact Matt Hermes - 678-775-2787

Shoes for the Souls, to benefit the Atlanta homeless community is once again set to embark on another shoe drive to benefit the homeless in Atlanta, Georgia and the surrounding areas.

(Dacula Ga.) Shoes for the Souls, founded by McClain Hermes and her father, Matt Hermes in 2009 is set to embark on another year of collecting shoes for the Atlanta area homeless.  Shoes for the Souls (SFS) came into existence when McClain was 9 years old after a conversation in the driveway of their Dacula, Ga. home.

Matt, who was reading a tennis magazine in the driveway while McClain was shooting basketball came upon a story of a large tennis shoe manufacturer that was recycling used tennis shoes. The manufacturer was grinding up the soles of the shoes to turn into new soles and selling the shoes back to the general public. During a break in McClain's shooting, Matt asked McClain what she thought about and through their conversation father and daughter came up with the idea that maybe instead of donating the shoes to the company those shoes could go to help those persons that might not have shoes.

With this short conversation, Shoes for the Souls was born. Matt and McClain decided that a family service project was a good idea and that they would collect slightly used shoes and then donate them to the Atlanta Mission in downtown Atlanta. The Mission provides the shoes to Atlanta's areas homeless and are used in their thrift stores to generate additional revenue for the Mission's needs.

The first year, with the help of friends, neighbors and the Hamilton Mill community a total of 365 pairs of shoes were collected and taken by a borrowed pick up truck to the Mission. In 2010, the goal was to collect 1,000 pairs of shoes. Matt asked McClain what type of incentive would help her to reach the lofty goal of 1,000 pairs and her reply was that she wanted to shave Matt's head if they reached their goal. Knowing that this was unrealistic, Matt agreed to the challenge. Just a couple months later Matt was sitting in a barber chair while McClain shaved his head after an incredible 1,598 pairs were donated.

In both 2011 and 2012 word of their service project grew in the local community and with the help of many local schools, churches and businesses including Matt's company, Keller Williams Realty and other groups the totals kept on growing. In 2011 Shoes for the Souls collected 3,338 pairs and in 2012 a total of 3,900 pairs of shoes were donated to the Atlanta Mission.

Matt stated "In only four years, Shoes for the Souls has collected over 9,000 pairs of shoes from the community that are then provided to the Mission! We are so honored to be able to help the Mission in their goal to end homelessness in any way possible."

Another year brings new challenges and goals for McClain and her father. If McClain reaches her goal of 10,000 pairs this year, she will have the opportunity to dye Matt's hair purple and shave the head of one of Matt's co-workers. This years shoe collection will begin in July and run through August.

McClain, now 12, while looking out for the needs of others has faced her own adversity over the past four years. McClain lost total sight in her right eye in 2009 and nearly all
sight in her left eye after both eyes experienced retinal detachments within a few weeks of each other. McClain continues to struggle with the loss of eyesight in her right eye and doctors are still trying to figure out how to help stop the deterioration of the remaining sight in her left eye.

For more information on the Shoes for the Souls project and how you or your local community can help, please contact Matt Hermes.

Matt Hermes:
678-775-2787
Matt@MattHermes.com
www.Facebook.com/shoesforthesouls