(Photo courtesy of Buckner)
International (MNN) ― The annual Buckner International "Shoes for Orphan Souls" drive is underway, and more shoes are urgently needed. Shoe donations are running behind the amount received last year.
"We're about 100,000 pairs of shoes down from last year's contribution level," said Albert Reyes, president of Buckner Children and Family Services. Each pair of shoes represents a child in need.
"In some cases, children in other countries run barefoot," Reyes explained. "And when they cut themselves or scratch themselves running around playing, and then step into contaminated water, parasites and other things get into their body. In fact, many die that way. So the gift of a pair of shoes at Christmas could put a smile on the faces of children and save their lives."
143 million children all over the world are orphans, and 50 million of them could be adopted by loving families. Many of these children survive on less than a dollar a day. Buckner International serves these vulnerable children in Russia, Romania, Latvia, Ethiopia, Kenya, Mexico, Honduras, Peru, Guatemala, and along the U.S.-Mexico border. It is establishing ministry in Egypt and considering a new ministry in Sierra Leone.
Children in over 65 countries around the world have received shoes through Shoes for Orphan Souls. For many, it's the first brand-new pair of shoes they've ever received. Reyes said it can be life-changing "to know that someone else in the world has thought of them. I can't explain the excitement, the joy, and the sense of gratitude that we find when we encounter opportunities to give shoes," Reyes said.
Sometimes the groups delivering the shoes distribute them in a very special way.
"We have kind of a ceremony where we actually wash the children's feet, dry them, and put brand-new socks on them. Then we put the pair of shoes on them, and sort of bless the children -- much like Jesus asked for children to be brought to Him so they could be blessed," Reyes explained.
You can help by hosting a shoe drive, or by giving a $25 donation to provide a pair of shoes for a child. Because Buckner's generous donors and endowments cover all of its administrative expenses and overhead costs, 100 percent of your donation goes directly to provide shoes for vulnerable children.
Buckner also requests support from the prayers of God's people for this endeavor, especially for "wisdom for knowing where we should go and who we should serve," Reyes said. "The needs are so overwhelming, and the resources and opportunities for us sometimes are limited... Pray for followers of Christ Jesus to open their hearts to serve those among us...who really need our help."
