Scouts pledge to “help other people at all times.” So it’s no surprise that when Scouts get behind a worthy cause to help the less fortunate, the results are awe-inspiring.
Last year, councils in the BSA’s Central Region partnered with Soles4Souls, a not-for-profit organization trying to fighting poverty by collecting and distributing shoes and clothing.
Scouts in the Central Region collected 40,000 pairs of shoes for Soles4Souls — far surpassing the most optimistic expectations.
Marc Richardson, director of Area 6 of the BSA’s Central Region, represented the BSA on a Soles4Souls trip to Honduras at the end of March.
“This has been a personal bucket-list item for me my whole adult life, so I am over-the-moon excited,” Richardson says.
Richardson and nine others distributed shoes in remote villages that lack running water and electricity. Most of the shoes went to young people, Richardson says.
“Many either didn’t have shoes or their shoes were in such disrepair they could barely walk,” he says.
They also visited what are called microenterprise sites. These help local entrepreneurs start small businesses by providing high-quality, low-cost products for them to sell. The goal is to empower these people to lift themselves and their families out of poverty.
“These hard-working entrepreneurs typically earn enough money, they support multiple families and make improvements to their remote villages,” Richardson says. “One woman I met supported over 20 people with her micro-business.”
Richardson was impressed with the Honduran people he met.
They “are wonderful, but they need our help,” he says. “The shoes we collect with BSA drives truly make a difference. I saw it with my own eyes.”
How to get involved
Visit the Soles4Souls website to learn more. If you’d like to start a shoe drive in your council, email Nicki Avila at: nickia (at) soles4souls (dot) org.
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