Walk in Our Shoes drive accepting donations for homeless

BOWLING GREEN, Ky.- A lot of people take everyday shoes for granted, but to some people, a pair of shoes means all the difference. 

“When he walked away you could see the back of his shoe flop down.” 

Bob Wilson, President of the Veteran’s Brigade, had a firsthand experience with a man who was homeless and barely had one pair of shoes to his name. 

“Just the appreciation and joy in his eyes of having a pair of shoes that he didn’t have to worry about. He told me about another pair of shoes that he had that he literally used duct tape on. And I was like, well we can’t have that,” said Wilson. 

And the Veteran’s Alliance Center is one location where people can drop off used pairs for the Walk in Our Shoes drive, hosted by the Bowling Green Alumni chapter of Kappa Alpha Psi and the NAACP. 

Organizer of the drive, Dectric Jones, says they are accepting all shoes for men and women. For men, they prefer shoes and work boots between the sizes of 9 and 12. 

“I wanted to find something unique, something different. and also supporting the community. That idea just struck me. You know how many homeless people will need shoes. It’s essential to them because they’re traveling the roads,” said Jones. 

Wilson says he will always remember the man he helped and the experience put things in perspective for him. 

“When he walked away, and it’s a cliche, but he really did have a little more pep in his step, when he walked away with that pair of shoes. And it’s something that we take for granted,” said Wilson. 

Other drop off locations are Room in the Inn, Salvation Army, Hope House Ministries, Community Action of Southern Kentucky, and American Legion Post 23. The drive goes until April 15.