ReBoot Shoe Drive surpasses used shoe donation target

GUELPH – More than 1,500 pairs of shoes and boots have been collected through the Helper Bees Outreach ReBoot Shoe Drive, surpassing a 1,000-pair goal.

Helper Bees is a community outreach program run by the Church of the Apostles in Guelph.

ReBoot is a collaboration between the church and the Guelph Tool Library.

At least 500 pairs have been processed so far.

The shoes have been cleaned and distributed to local community organizations, including The Bench, Chalmers Community Service Centre, Chalmers West, Rachel’s Saturday Table, Hope House and Royal City Mission.

The drive aims to reduce textile waste by finding new uses for donated footwear. 

Donations have been collected at three sites over the past six weeks, with footwear arriving in a variety of sizes and styles. 

Andreea Burlacu, an assistant at the Guelph Tool Library, oversees the drive, including assessing, sorting and tracking the donations.

“Thanks to the generosity of our community, more people will have access to a variety of footwear, from summer sandals to warm winter boots,” Burlacu said in a news release.

“I’ve been fulfilling requests sent in by community groups, and finding the right pair for each person has been so rewarding.”

A team of volunteers from Community of Hearts helps clean donated footwear each week at the Guelph Tool Library.

“ReBoot shows the impact that’s possible when organizations come together to create meaningful opportunities,” said Community of Hearts program manager Drew Kolohon.

“We’re proud to have partnered with a program that helps people feel included and valued.”

The organizers say the donated footwear can be particularly useful for people who need suitable shoes for changing weather, or work requiring long periods standing.

Shoes that cannot be reused are recycled through TerraCycle, a New Jersey-based company specializing in hard-to-recycle materials.

According to the organizers, TerraCycle recovers nearly all the materials it receives by separating shoes into their component parts and processing them into raw materials for use in new manufacturing.

“No shoe donated will go to waste,” Burlacu said. 

“Whether they are passed on to someone in need or recycled into a new product, every pair will have a new life.”

The ReBoot program was made possible through a grant from the Guelph Community Foundation.