The West Side Gifted and Talented students are partnering this year with a non profit organization, Ozark Water Project, to collect used shoes.
Yes, that’s right — old shoes. The organization sells the shoes for around 35¢ a pound, then uses that money to purchase well and hand-pump equipment to dig water wells in countries such as Haiti, Kenya, and Uganda, where children often have no reliably clean source of water. The shoes are then sent to some of those countries where local residents are taught to set up a business where either money or a bartering system is set up. It is a win-win program for everyone involved. Families in the community get rid of old shoes that are taking up closet space Children across the world get access to clean water.
The shoes do not need to be clean or in new condition; they just need to have a good sole without holes and be a matching set. Ozark Water Project accepts all types and sizes of shoes from boots to high heels and baby to adult.
If you or your family would like to help out, simply put your donation in a Wal-mart or trash bag and bring them to school to donate. Boxes are set up in all three main entrances of the campus. We will be collecting shoes between the dates of September 21 -October 12.
For more information about the project, following one of these links: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o VIacmiDV9A http://www.aetn.org/engage/blog/pbs_
newshour_weekend_feature_ozark_water_projects
For more information, contact the High School at (501) 825-7241.