With a congregation 80-members strong, Beulah Baptist Church, Sterrett, recently focused on “soles” for “souls,” literally.
The church’s Woman’s Missionary Union (WMU), led by Director Billie Brasher, spent July collecting shoes for people in need around the world.
When the final pairs were sorted and tied together in August, Brasher said both the church and the WMU members were astounded by the final count of 309 pairs.
“It was such a satisfying thing,” she said. “We all had a great sense of accomplishment that we had helped those less fortunate.”
After boxing up the shoes, the women delivered them to the Soles4Souls warehouse in Roanoke (Ala.). From there, the shoes will be shipped worldwide.
Soles4Souls officially began in 2004 after the Asian tsunami when the organization sent thousands of donated shoes to the affected region. Since then, it has grown and now sends millions of shoes into 12 different countries. Shoes are collected in any quantity from individuals, footwear companies, civic groups or churches like Beulah Baptist.
“I am grateful that someone came up with this idea,” said Earl Hardy, pastor of Beulah. “It fulfills the gospel and it fortifies our own faith.”
And in light of its success, Beulah’s WMU has decided to make the shoe drive an annual event for the church.
“We had such a good response,” Brasher said. “It doesn’t cost anybody and it helps others.”
For more information about Soles4Souls, visit www.soles4souls.org or call 1-866-521-SHOE (7463).
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