By Aaron Picar

Southeast Missourian

With the start of the second annual Soles4Souls Week beginning today, a local group of volunteers, partnered with an international ministry, is asking members of the community to consider donating their extra pairs of shoes.

Soles4Souls is a charity that recycles shoes for people in need. Beginning today and continuing through April 1, shoes will be collected locally.

Collection centers are at St. Andrew Lutheran Church, Marci's Planet Shoes and the University Center on the Southeast Missouri State University campus. Volunteers are also needed to help sort, tie and pack the shoes.

Last year, 6,379 shoes were donated, and organizers are excited for this year's drive.

"A lot of people from the community have come to help," said organizer Cheryl Reinagel. "We can all use a little good news, and a pair of shoes does it."

The Soles4Souls University RV Tour will make a stop in Cape Girardeau on Wednesday. Heath and Melissa Bain are traveling with the RV tour to different college campuses collecting shoes for Soles4Souls. They will be stopping by the collection centers in Cape Girardeau and telling people about the organization.

Melissa Bain said she is "excited to meet the people behind the movement."

"This city is probably the most involved with what Soles4Souls are doing," Bain said. "We want to meet the passionate people. We're excited to be a part of it."

Soles4Souls began when founder Wayne Elsey saw the need to collect shoes for victims of the Asian tsunami of 2004 and Hurricane Katrina in 2005. Soles4Souls has collected more than 11.4 million pairs of shoes and distributed the donated footwear to 127 countries.

Soles4Souls Week started locally when Reinagel, Rhonda Weller-Stilson and others had the idea of collecting shoes for those in need. When they learned of Soles4Souls, Reinagel said they thought it was too easy not to do.

Soles4Souls does not just send shoes overseas but also to local places in need. According to Reinagel, donors can designate where they want their shoes to go.

"This goes beyond the scope of just international aide," said Reinagel. "Soles4Souls serves people in places that have been hit by Katrina to places that have been recently hit. This is an ideal project, we have a lot of needs here too."

Reinagel said Soles4Souls Week would not be possible without donors and volunteers. According to her, Kermit Meystedt of Genesis Transportation donated a trailer to keep the shoes. Genesis will also ship the shoes to the Soles4Souls headquarters in Nashville, Tenn. Spartech and M&W donated barrels and containers for packaging. Southeast Missouri State's Horticultural Club and Collegiate Farm Bureau have helped collect shoes on campus.

"It's been amazing to see what all has been happening," Reinagel said.

Information on making donations and volunteering can be obtained from St. Andrews Lutheran Church by calling 334-3200, or by contacting Cheryl Reinagel at creinagel@semo.edu or Rhonda Weller-Stilson at rstilson@semo.edu. More information on Soles4Souls can be found at www.giveshoes.org.