City Shoe Drive Begins Sunday

The following is an edited press release from the City of Malibu.

With April representing “Earth Month” in Malibu, the City is expanding its efforts to improve the environment and support the underprivileged community by hosting a month long shoe drive.

As part of its Earth Month celebration, Malibu will hold the shoe drive from April 1 through April 30, and the public is encouraged to donate gently worn or new shoes of all types, including athletic, running, dress, sandals, pumps, heels, work boots, cleats, dance and flip flops.

Shoes may be dropped off at collection boxes located at Malibu City Hall or Malibu Bluffs Park.The shoes will then be immediately earmarked for distribution in the United States or abroad.

The City recently announced its new partnership with Soles4Souls, a nonprofit that collects new shoes to give relief to the victims of abject suffering and used shoes to support micro-enterprise efforts to eradicate poverty. 

“Our partnership with Soles4Souls helps ensure that the City’s philanthropic efforts are in harmony with our ambitious environmental goals and commitment to environmental stewardship,” Malibu Mayor Laura Rosenthal said. “We are happy to provide the Malibu community with an opportunity to help others.”

“We are so excited to be partnering with the City of Malibu for their Earth Month Celebration,” said Soles4Souls Founder and CEO Wayne Elsey. “Soles4Souls will be able to recycle and reuse the shoes they collect to help adults and children in need. With more than 760,000 tons of footwear and apparel thrown into landfills every year, we are pleased that the City of Malibu is encouraging their residents to join in the recycling movement.”

The shoe drive is one of several ways the City of Malibu is celebrating Earth Month. On April 22, Earth Day, the City will hold the grand opening of its sustainably renovated Malibu Library at 11 a.m., followed by an Earth Day festival at Legacy Park from noon to 3 p.m. The celebration will include several educational booths, a native plant sale, park tours, live animals, composting demonstrations and food vendors, among other activities.

A complete schedule of the City’s Earth Month events can be found on the City website. visiting www.malibucity.org. Information regarding the shoe drive can also be found at the Soles4Souls website.