Valley kicks in donations for shoe drive

More than 1,100 pairs were collected and will be donated to developing countries.

What started with a simple call for gently used shoes ended with more than 1,100 pairs — and a wave of generosity that will stretch from the Mon Valley to the other side of the world.

Mon Valley Care Center’s summer shoe drive wrapped up Thursday night when the final bags were picked up and sent to a warehouse for sorting and weighing.

From there, the shoes will make their way to developing countries, where they’ll be used to help small business owners build income and support their families.

“We collected about 1,150 pairs,” said Jen Mellinger, Mon Valley’s activities director. “The community really came together to support this fundraiser, including several churches and community groups.

“One of the best things about the whole fundraiser was meeting people in the community as they were bringing in shoes and getting to know a little about them. I met people that were former residents, and their families — it’s great to see them doing well and thriving and knowing we had a hand in that.” The fundraiser was organized in partnership with Funds2Orgs, a nonprofit that turns donated shoes into inventory for micro-entrepreneurs abroad.

These small business owners — often working in open-air markets — sell the shoes to earn a living, giving each donated pair a second life and a new purpose.

Mellinger said she looks for fundraisers that don’t rely on asking people for cash, and this one fit the bill.

“It’s something that helps someone else, and it doesn’t cost anything for us,” she said. “And we’re still raising money that goes right back to our residents.”

Among the local groups that helped push the drive forward was Monessen Football and Cheer. Coach Leane Brown, who also works as a social worker at the care center, helped organize the team’s collection effort as part of a community give-back project.

The funds raised will support events and programming at Mon Valley Care Center, helping to bring in live entertainment, guest speakers and holiday activities for residents.

“It will really help to make the holidays special here,” Mellinger said. “I seriously love my job.”

The care center has previously hosted petting zoos, carnivals, food trucks and other special events — most made possible through creative fundraising and community support.

Even though the drive is wrapping up, the impact is just beginning — both for the families who will build livelihoods from the donated shoes, and for the residents who will get to enjoy more moments of joy, connection and celebration at home.

And that, Mellinger said, is what it’s all about.

“We just want to keep making our residents smile — they deserve it,” she said.