Some of you may have heard us discuss our involvement with NAPO.  Sound ominous? It simply stands for our professional organization: the National Association of Professional Organizers.  We have a conference once a year, and a couple of us just spent a few days in San Diego, soaking up information on organizing methods, new organization products, and tips and tricks to help us better serve our clients.

While there was more than enough information at the conference to make any Professional Organizer drool, we were most excited to learn about an organization which won NAPO’s Organizing Excellence in Community Service Award: Soles4Souls.

Soles4Souls has one simple mission: to collect shoes and get them to those who have none, both in the US, and around the world.  They began in 2004, just after the Southeast Asia tsunami.  Watching the devastation on television, the founder, Wayne Elsey, called friends and sponsors, seeking to collect shoes to send to the victims.  He began again, when Katrina hit the gulf coast.

They have since expanded efforts to include providing shoes to the poor in less dire circumstances, though they continue to focus on disaster relief: Japan’s tsunami victims and domestically the Southern states’ tornado victims are current recipients.

Simply Placed felt an instant connection with this organization, which has an overall goal to collect 11 million pairs of shoes in 2011.  We’d love to help them reach that number and you can help make this goal a reality.

Simply Placed is looking to collect new, gently used and even single shoes and shoes needing repair, to send to Souls4Souls.  If you, or anyone you know, would like to donate shoes -regardless of their condition- we encourage you to do so by contacting us at sharon@itssimplyplaced.com.  We’ll be accepting shoes during client appointments, by special arrangements and at particular events over the next few months.

In the immediate future, we are staging a large collection on Saturday, May 14th from 9:00AM-3:00PM at the All West Seattle Garage Sale. If you will be in the area and have shoes to contribute, please email sharon@itssimplyplaced.com for the specific drop off location for this event. If you’re not available that day, but wish to gather up shoes from friends, family, your work place or school, please let us know, and we will happily collect them from you to send them to the organization.

One note:  for those who can afford to do so, we are asking for a donation of $1 per shoe, to cover the cost of shipping to the Soles4Souls warehouse.

You can change the world –  one pair of shoes at a time, or, as Debbie says, “turn your clutter into contribution.” We look forward to hearing from you!

Here’s to helping others in need.