The Soles4Souls donor services team works hands-on with individuals, churches, schools, businesses… and really ANYONE… who wants to host a shoe drive and help collect shoes! Whether you’ve already collect shoes or are looking at hosting the biggest drive ever, here’s a Q&A with the team so you can get to know them.
Megan Welsh, Independent Development Specialist
Tell us about yourself:
I am originally from Traverse City, Michigan and moved to Nashville in 2007. I have two dogs, live in East Nashville, love hiking in Tennessee and I LOVE MY JOB!
What do you do at Soles4Souls?
My role is to focus on Community Shoe and Clothing Drives in Tennessee. I am out in the Nashville community meeting new people, sharing our mission, and educating them on how collecting gently used shoes can help create jobs in developing nations to create a long term solution to global poverty.
How has your work made an impact?
Our distribution team has done an AWESOME job building relationships within the public school system here in Nashville. Soles4Souls has distributed over 40,000 pair of shoes to Metro Nashville Public Schools (MNPS) and over 800 coats to students in need in the last two years alone. This is how we as a not for profit provide short term relief.
As a next step we wanted to give back to the community by providing a long term solution by partnering with the Metro Nashville Public Schools on a project based learning program. Soles4Souls created the Youth Impact Program within MNPS allowing the youth in our community to host a shoe drive while learning basic business skills.
It was very impactful and powerful for me to work one on one with the youth and see the excitement in their eyes when they had achieved the goals knowing they were making a global difference. It is humbling to work with students giving them the tools to use when choosing a career path in life.
Nicki Avila, Donor Services Specialist
Tell us about yourself:
My name is Nicki Avila and I am most recently from Tampa, FL and before that Yakima, WA. (I know, verrryyyy different! I traded apple orchards and farms for warm sandy beaches to settling down in the lovely country hills of Nashville.) I am a bit obsessed with Subway cookies and my dog, Koda, who I try to take everywhere with me. (Shout out to the employees of Target for being so distracted by his cuteness that they forget he is a big dog inside of a shopping store.)
What do you do at Soles4Souls?
I am part of the donor services team specializing in helping businesses, civic groups, and schools host gently used shoe drives! I help volunteers get super creative when coming up with Corporate Social Responsibility initiatives, collegiate events, and community challenges.
How is your role unique?
My role at Soles4Souls is unique because I get the cool job of talking to different people from all over the US! From 2nd graders determined to change the world to CEO’s and corporate leaders looking to provide community service for their employees – my days never look the same!
Say a business, school or group wants to host a shoe drive. What are the top 3 things they should know before diving in?
First, do you have space to house the shoes you collect until you drop them off or ship them? As soon as you let people know you are collecting, I think you’ll be amazed by the response! Consider placing filled bags or boxes in a spare bedroom, office, garage, or basement. Can’t think of a good location? Don’t be afraid to post on social or email others to ask if they have space!
Second, definitely check our shipping/warehouse page online to see if there is a drop off location near you. If not, you’ll need to consider the cost of shipping to one of those locations. Feel free to reach out to local businesses to help sponsor the cost of shipping or host a separate fundraiser!
Third, I highly recommend checking out our Micro-Enterprise video on Youtube so that you have a good understanding of where the used shoes donated to Soles4Souls go! You will be asked!
How have you personally seen your involvement in helping people with shoe drives have an impact on the greater good?
One of the most fulfilling experiences is hearing communities of all sizes come together to help collect shoes and/or move the shoes. Our volunteers may not meet the people benefitting from their used shoe donations, but you guys care and love those people any way! If that doesn’t restore your faith in humanity, I’m not sure what will.
Kelly Modena, Donor Services Director
Tell us about yourself:
I’m Kelly Modena and I’m a proud Nashvillian! My hard working husband and I are the proud and exhausted parents of two girls — a 3 year old and an 18 month old. They have taken over our house with Barbies, dress up clothes and demands of all kinds, but also taken over our hearts with their smiles, silliness and adorable little faces.
What do you do at Soles4Souls and what makes your role unique?
I’ve been at s4s for over 5 years, and although I’ve played several roles, being the Director of Donor Services has been my favorite. My role is unique and special because I’m some of our donor’s first experience with our mission. Typically, our relationships with our donors start off with them collecting shoes so this gives me the honor of telling our story to our donors. Getting our donors excited and engaged to help others is truly a blessing.
Why should someone collect shoes for Soles4Souls’ mission?
Because they can! That’s the simple, honest way of looking at it. So many people wonder how they can make a difference and how they can help “be the change.” We offer a simple way to help others in need, and that’s simply cleaning out your closet and then getting others to clean our theirs, too. We all have an extra pair of shoes we can give!
Say someone calls and wants to host a shoe drive. What are the top 3 things they should know?
Number 1: Shoe drives can be hard work, but it’s rewarding. So I would definitely advise anyone hosting a shoe drive to always keep in mind WHO they are helping. This makes all of the hard work that a shoe drive requires worth it.
Number 2: Keep in mind, from the very beginning….shipping the shoes you collect! Being a not for profit, we can’t help with the cost of shipping shoes but we can help with great ideas like: recruit a local business to be your shipping sponsor, encourage everyone who donates one pair of shoes to also donate $1 to offset shipping expenses, or create an online fundraising page through the to raise funds to ship shoes!
Number 3. Get the word out! Market your drive and let local media know about your shoe drive project! We have resources available such as posters, fliers, videos and press releases to help you in your quest to collect shoes and inspire others to join you!
At Soles4Souls, we never have a demand problem but constantly battle a supply problem, so we need more people to help us collect shoes!!!
How has your role at Soles4Souls helped those in need?
The majority of the shoes from the shoe drives I manage go to our micro-enterprise program where we help entrepreneurs in need generate income by selling the used shoes or donors collect. To hear their stories & see their pictures of how they’re able to build a business & then feed their families from the shoes that I helped generate is incredibly powerful.
But I’ve also seen the difference that hosting a shoe drive can make on people, too, and this is just as powerful. To see a child give up birthday presents to instead collect shoes at their birthday party is remarkable. To hear about someone giving up their favorite pair of shoes in order to help someone else is inspiring. I’m proud to be part of so many people’s philanthropic journey, so seeing our mission impact others on the giving side is just as significant as hearing the shoe recipient’s stories.
Lucas Reed, International Donor Specialist
Who is Lucas Reed?
I am a part of the donor services team here at Soles4Souls, handling the International shoe drives, mostly in Canada and Europe at the moment, so I am working with individuals, businesses, clubs, churches……. basically anyone who wants to help fight poverty and make a difference! Home for me is right here in the great city of Nashville. In my free time when I am not trying to save the world with shoes, I love hanging out with my beautiful wife, reading, drinking coffee with friends, and help serving at my local church.
What makes your role unique?
I help our mission in two ways at Soles4Souls: Oversee international shoe drives and help with our International shoe distribution trips! I have had so much fun meeting new people in different countries and making lifelong friendships with them. I get to see both sides of our mission: helping those collect used shoes and help distribute new shoes to those who need them most! Every time I go on an international trip, it drives me to work harder on the donor services team and makes me thankful that I know that life is bigger than myself and that what I am doing is really making this world a better place!
Why should someone host a shoe drive?
This is easy! Everyone should have a shoe drive because we all have shoes lying around somewhere that are no longer being used! Your used shoes could be helping individuals and families have a source of income, which often decides whether or not a child will go hungry, receive an education, or have access to adequate shelter. Your used shoes bring stability, hope, and love to families and communities all over the world. Please, GET INVOLVED wherever you are! Your help matters!
How have you personally seen your involvement in S4S have an impact on the greater good?
Overseeing our Soles4Souls Canadian Division, I have had an incredible opportunity to work with our partner in Canada, BioPed Footcare. BioPed has 75 clinic locations throughout Canada and they have a goal to collect 100,000 pairs of shoes and they are halfway there! This past February I led their team on a trip to Haiti to deliver shoes to children and to visit our micro-enterprise partner. On our first day in Haiti while visiting the HAC (Haitian American Caucus, our micro partner), we were able to meet with Ginnette, who is one of the women entrepreneurs, and hear her story on how these shoes have changed not only her life, but her entire family’s as well. The team was incredibly moved by her story and went back home with a passion to want to do more and get others involved!
Well there you have it! Now that you know the team, reach out to them and tell the about your shoe drives! They’re here to help
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