Footwear Charity Soles4Souls Launches Clothing Division

Soles4Souls Inc. of Nashville, Tenn., an international shoe charity that gives away new and gently worn shoes, has announced the creation of a new division, Clothes4Souls. Through this initiative, the charity will collect new clothing from manufacturers, designers, retail partners and the general public to distribute to people in need. Gently worn jeans and coats will be collected during community events held at select retailers throughout the year.

“We are so excited about the much anticipated launch of our clothing arm and the expansion of our charity to clothes,” said Wayne Elsey, founder and CEO of Soles4Souls. “We have consistently collected clothing from our footwear partners with apparel lines in the past, and now we will have the complete infrastructure to acquire and distribute clothing to people in need worldwide.” Elsey noted that apparel Miss Me Jeans, American Apparel, Blac Label Premium, Artisans, New Balance and Converse have already contributed to the cause.

The shoe charity has grown from a handful of employees and volunteers into an internationally recognized organization with 40 employees and four warehouses to handle the millions of shoes it distributes each year. It has distributed more than 7 million pairs of shoes since 2004, and Elsey predicts the clothing division will be equally successful. “Our footprint is changing as we forge forward for the next five years,” he said. “We recognized the overwhelming need internationally and domestically for clothing, and we hope to offer the general public and our apparel partners an avenue to give back more than just footwear,” he said. For further details, visit www.clothes4souls.org.

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