Photo Caption: Peoria-area parishes as well as OSF St. Joseph Medical Center in Bloomington are seeking donations of gently used or new shoes in August.

Catholic groups in the Peoria and Bloomington areas are seeking donations of gently used or new men’s, women’s, and children’s shoes.

In Peoria, St. Ann’s Parish WATCH (We Are The Church) is working to turn shoes into clean drinking water for those in need and they are inviting people of central Illinois to join them.

In partnership with The Iona Group in Morton, members of St. Ann’s WATCH are hoping to collect more than 4,000 pairs of new and used shoes by the end of August. The shoes will be donated to EDGE Outreach of Louisville, Ky., which sells them to an exporter and uses the proceeds for water projects in developing countries.

As an added benefit, the exporter takes the shoes to the same countries in which EDGE sponsors water and hand pump repair projects and sells them to micro-business owners at affordable prices. This helps the business owners make a sustainable living and improves the overall health of the people by protecting their feet from cuts, parasites and mites.

All kinds of shoes are accepted, including flip-flops, sandals, tennis shoes, clogs and dress shoes. Those that are not usable will be recycled, thereby keeping them out of landfills.

In Peoria, collection boxes have been set up at St. Ann’s Church, 1010 S. Louisa St.; Holy Family Church, 3720 N. Sterling Ave.; St. Philomena’s Church, 3200 N. Twelve Oaks Drive; St. Vincent de Paul Church, 6001 N. University St.; and the Spalding Renewal Center, 401 N.E. Madison Ave. (on Wednesday evenings only).

Shoes also may be dropped off at St. Mary’s of Lourdes Church, 424 Lourdes Church Road, Metamora.

Several businesses in Morton are participating as well and donations may be taken to any location displaying the EDGE Shoes for Water logo.
The collection will run through Aug. 31.

Meanwhile, in Bloomington, OSF St. Joseph Medical Center and OSF Medical Group Podiatrist Todd Snoeying will sponsor the tenth annual “Shoe Drive from Monday, Aug. 13, through Friday, Aug. 17. The shoe drive benefits Home Sweet Home Ministries in Bloomington.

The sponsors are asking the Bloomington-Normal community to donate new or gently used men’s, women’s, and children’s shoes.
The OSF Shoe Drive has five drop-off locations, including three within OSF St. Joseph Medical Center: Eastland Medical Plaza I by the Eastland Pharmacy; the Main Hospital entrance, and the Birthing Center entrance.
Locations off-campus include: OSF Medical Group — College Avenue, 1701 E. College Avenue, Bloomington, and the Center for Health at Fort Jesse, 2200 Fort Jesse Road in Normal.

More than 9,000 pairs of shoes have been donated through previous drives. Home Sweet Homes Ministries is a full-service homeless shelter open 24-hours a day.