Soles for Christ seeks new shoe donations ahead of August distribution days

ST. JOSEPH, Mo. (KQTV) -- The Soles for Christ program, sponsored by the AFL-CIO Community Services, is asking for donations for new shoes for children ahead of the next school year.

Soles for Christ began as an outreach project by Our Lady of Guadalupe Catholic Church. The first collection of shoes took place in August 2003, with the AFL-CIO becoming a partner to distribute the footwear.

More than 200 pairs of shoes were given away in the program's inaugural year, and now, a total of 19,949 pairs of shoes have been given away since the start of the program.

According to the AFL-CIO, the shoes provided through the program, which serves Andrew, Buchanan, Clinton, DeKalb and Doniphan (Kansas) counties, are the only new shoes some children receive for the entire school year.

The 2026 Soles for Christ distribution event will be held from 9 a.m. to 7 p.m. on Aug. 10 and 11 at the Scottish Rite Temple, located at 515 N. 6th St.

Donations for school-age children, Pre-K through 12th grade, including toddler, youth and adult sizes, can be dropped off from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. at the AFL-CIO, located at 1203 N 6th St.

Anyone interested in volunteering for the program can register at afl-ciocommunityservices.ivolunteer.com/solesforchrist_2026, and anyone with questions about the program can contact Ashley Luthans by email at ashley.luthans@helpmenow.org.