Shoes for orphans going to Iraq

Iraq (MNN) — As coalition forces continue to pound insurgent held areas in Iraq, a Christian organization is excited about the possibility of reaching out to children in the region.

Buckner Orphan Care International’s Amy Norton, who heads the Shoes for Orphan Souls program, says they’re sending shoes into the region. “The shoes should be going in the next month or so to Iraq. And, we’re sending 7,000 news shoes in to Kirkuk, which is where there’s over 15,000 people just living in displaced people camps around that city. And, the governor just visited us and he says shoes are really one of the most desperate needs that they have.”

Norton says typically, Buckner works though the local church, unfortunately that can’t happen in this instance. “This is an open door where we have the opportunity to go in and put our foot in the door and we’ll continue to try to open it through the shoes going in and then having the opportunity to hopefully make some contact with maybe local churches there who can be involved in the distribution.”

Pray that the shipment will make it to Iraq with no trouble. Norton says their prayer is for the children. “That each child that receives that pair of shoes would really understand that they are loved and cared for and that they have a hope in the Lord and that they somehow feel that love.”

More volunteers are needed to help collect new shoes for the program. Buckner expects to distribute 100,000 shoes by the end of the year and 150,000 next year. Funding is also needed to help ship the shoes overseas at a cost of 27-cent per pair.