Pita’s Place shoe drive aims to support women in recovery through community donations

BOWLING GREEN, Ky. — A pair of gently used shoes could help provide transportation, hygiene products and other necessities for women rebuilding their lives after addiction at Pita’s Place.

The Bowling Green faith-based sober living home is asking the community to donate gently used shoes as part of a fundraiser that supports its recovery program while also providing footwear to people in developing countries.

Pita’s Place Founder and CEO Toya Carpenter said the home serves up to eight women at a time through a 12- to 14-month program designed to help residents regain independence after addiction.

“We house eight women, and they come from various stages in life,” Carpenter said. “Some of them come directly from rehab, some come straight from jail, and we have a 12- to 14-month program that teaches them credit, financial literacy, interview skills, and we get them back in the workforce to get them a solid foundation going.”

Rather than hosting a traditional fundraiser, Carpenter partnered with Funds2Orgs, an organization that provides financial donations based on the number of bags of shoes collected. The shoes are then distributed to entrepreneurs and families in developing countries.

The money raised stays local, helping cover everyday expenses for the women living at Pita’s Place.

“The funds that we receive from this fundraiser are going to be used to get them Lyft cards,” Carpenter said. “It’ll be used to get them hygiene materials. If they need shoes, if they need everything that we take for granted, I want to be able to provide them and take a little bit of stress off their plate.”

The organization hopes to collect 100 bags of shoes.

Carpenter said reaching that goal would represent more than financial support.

“It changes their day-to-day interaction, and it shows them that the community shows up and supports women in addiction,” Carpenter said. “The bigger picture for Pita’s Place is to change the narrative around addiction and the stigma attached to it.”

For Vivian Melbourne, the home’s house manager, the mission is deeply personal.

Melbourne said she arrived at Pita’s Place after leaving the Warren County Regional Jail and believes the program helped prevent her from returning to addiction.

“If it wasn’t for Miss Toya and Pita’s Place, I would’ve had nowhere to go or nowhere to start,” Melbourne said. “If I would’ve just went back on the streets out of jail, I probably would’ve went back full-blown in my addiction. But Pita’s Place gave me that stabilization and structure.”

Now approaching one year of sobriety, Melbourne said recovery requires more than simply deciding to quit using drugs or alcohol.

“It takes a community,” she said. “It takes someone that believes in us. You have to have structure. Pita’s Place is that.”

She said the shoe drive reflects the same spirit of recovery by allowing people to help others while also supporting women working to rebuild their lives.

“We’re helping people help people,” Melbourne said. “People are helping us, and we’re helping others. It’s an ongoing cycle. That’s the way it’s supposed to be.”

Pita’s Place is accepting gently used men’s, women’s and children’s shoes, including boots, sandals, dress shoes and cleats. The only shoes that cannot be accepted are those with holes.

Donations can be dropped off at Bundles of Joy Day Care at 171 Center St., Monday through Friday from 7 a.m. to 5:30 p.m., or JC’s Barber College at 543 Second Ave., Monday through Friday from approximately 8 a.m. to 2 p.m.

Community members interested in volunteering or making a financial donation can also contact Pita’s Place through its website or by emailing info@pitasplace.com.