Soles4Souls(TM) Inc., the Shoe Charity, Anticipates Footwear Need for Victims in Busy Hurricane Season

Hurricane Hanna has already caused more than 60 deaths and massive flooding inHaiti, and weather forecasters anticipate the storm will roll into Southeastern U.S. by late Friday or early Saturday. CNN reported that Hurricane Gustav killed 79 people inHaiti last week.

"We are hoping that Hanna will slow down or move away from the U.S. mainland, but in case it moves ashore we have to be ready with shoe donations so people can rebuild their communities," said Wayne Elsey, Founder and CEO of Soles4Souls Inc. "We are especially keeping a wary eye on Hurricane Ike, which forecasters are calling a 'monster' storm. We believe it's important to give aid to the poor people in theCaribbean as well as Americans affected by these hurricanes," he said.

Hurricane Ike is currently a Category 4 Hurricane and is expected to hit theBahamas and theTurks and Caicos Islands before taking aim atFlorida or the Carolinas by early next week, according to the National Hurricane Center.

Soles4Souls donates new and gently worn shoes to victims of natural disasters and people living in extreme poverty. Elsey said that they have readied 50,000 pairs of shoes so far and are looking for footwear companies and retailers to donate excess inventory or returns so that they will have enough for the demand.

"We hope that we won't have to donate all the shoes in our inventory, but we need to be ready for whatever comes," Elsey said. "Along with other emergency supplies, a pair of new shoes or boots goes a long way to helping people get back on their feet and piece their lives back together. We need all our partners and donors to join us in our mission to help those affected by these storms," he said.

Those interested in giving shoes or donating cash to benefit victims of the hurricanes can join Soles4Souls by visiting http://www.giveshoes.org or calling 615-391-5723.

About Soles4Souls

Nashville-based Soles4Souls(TM) facilitates the donations of both new and used shoes, which are used to aid the hurting worldwide. Since its inception, Soles4Souls has distributed more than 3.4 million pairs (or one pair every 23 seconds) to people in more than 60 countries, includingHonduras,Romania, Thailand, and theSudan. The charity has been featured on CNN Headline News, NBC Nightly News with Brian Williams, ABC News, FOX, CBS, and hundreds of regional outlets aroundNorth America. Soles4Souls is a 501(c)(3) recognized by the IRS; donating parties are eligible for tax advantages. Visit http://www.giveshoes.org for more information.

SOURCE Soles4Souls Inc.

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