Elevate Life Church Partners with Soles4Souls in the Fight Against Global Poverty

FRISCO, Texas - March 7, 2014 - PRLog -- (Frisco, TX) March 7, 2014— Attention anyone with a closet: Those shoes you no longer want are desperately needed to fight the human tragedy of global poverty.

That’s the message being delivered over the next few weeks by Elevate Life Church in Frisco. Elevate Life will be collecting shoe donations from March 1 – 23, which will then be delivered to the international anti-poverty organization Soles4Souls. Founded in 2007, the organization has distributed over 25 million shoes across more than 100 countries.

“Elevate Life Church is excited to work with Soles4Souls for the third year. Last year we donated a record-breaking 10,000 shoes to those in need and are believing for even more this year. I encourage you to join Pastor Sheila, Elevate Life Church and me as we lend our support and join in on the fight against global poverty,” said Lead Pastor Keith Craft.

Soles4Souls will convert every used pair of shoes collected from the community into a value-added social currency to achieve positive change, both humanitarian and economic. Most of the shoes will be distributed to programs that create jobs in Haiti and other economically devastated nations. The resulting revenue will help fund the free distribution of new shoes in the U.S. and overseas.

The connection between poverty and shoes is well documented. The World Bank estimates that more than 400 million children worldwide live in pronounced poverty. Many of these children will grow up never having had a pair of shoes, resulting in significant ramifications for their health and wellbeing. Lacking proper footwear, countless children will not be permitted or able to attend school. These millions of poverty-stricken boys and girls can also be infected with soil-transmitted parasitic diseases like hookworm, causing lasting suffering and lifelong debilitation due to being barefoot.

“We are so honored to partner with Soles4Souls to help make a real difference in poverty-stricken countries,” said Craft. “It’s really amazing to see the community come together, member and non-members, to gift their shoes for this cause. Each individual’s effort is so small, but the efforts combined are exponential in power and will aid us in changing lives all over the world.”

Elevate Life doesn’t just put shoe bins in the lobby. Pastor Keith Craft makes an effort to really get people involved by having a ‘shoe altar call.’ Craft calls people from their seats to help the cause, and members of the church have been known to take the shoes off their feet to place on the altar during services. These moments are very powerful and inspire others to give. The Crafts and Elevate Life members strongly believe that the biblical core value of generosity can be used to enrich the lives of others, and partnering with Soles4Souls is allowing them to take that belief and impact even further into the world.

Donations of gently used shoes will be accepted in the Cathedral lobby of Elevate Life Church at 8500 Teel Pkwy in Frisco, Texas from March 1-23. You can bring shoes before, during and after church services on Saturday at 6 p.m. or Sunday at 9 a.m. and 11 a.m. You can also drop your shoes off during normal business hours: Monday – Friday from 9 a.m. – 5 p.m.

About Elevate Life Church

Elevate Life Church is a non-denominational church located in Frisco that was founded in January of 2000. Under the leadership of Pastors Keith and Sheila Craft, the church has grown to be a place where people can grow in their walk with God, their leadership abilities and their relationships. Elevate Life’s services are broadcast nation-wide. Lead Pastor Keith Craft also recently published his first book, Your Divine Fingerprint. You can learn more about Elevate Life Church at www.elevatelife.com and www.keithcraft.org.

About Soles4Souls

Soles4Souls, Inc. is a nonprofit social enterprise that advances the fight against global poverty by monetizing used shoes and clothing to create sustainable jobs and fund direct relief efforts around the world.  The organization collects new and used shoes and clothes from individuals, schools, faith based institutions, civic organizations and corporate partners, then distributes those shoes and clothes both via direct donations to people in need and through qualified micro-enterprise programs designed to create jobs in poor and disadvantaged communities.  Based in Nashville, Tennessee, Soles4Souls is committed to the highest standards of operating and governance, and holds a four-star rating with Charity Navigator. Please visit www.giveshoes.org for more information.