National Footwear Cares® Month Sets Benchmark for Industry Volunteerism

6,500 shoe industry employees provide support to 83 separate non-profits across U.S.

WALTHAM, Mass. & NEW YORK-- National Footwear Cares Month, the country’s first-ever industry-wide, month-long community service campaign, finished the way it began on April 1 -- with a flourish. When the counting was over, more than 6,500 employees from 100 footwear companies donated countless hours to dozens of national, regional and local non-profits across 22 states.

“Led by Two Ten Footwear Foundation and title sponsor Amazon Fashion, National Footwear Cares Month has set the new benchmark for industry-specific volunteerism,” said Blake Krueger, Two Ten’s chairman of the board and chairman, president and CEO, Wolverine Worldwide, Inc. “The effort that the entire footwear industry put into this massive undertaking was extraordinary. Without the passion and enthusiasm of shoe industry employees, none of this would have been possible.”

Footwear Cares volunteers dedicated time to 83 non-profits including national organizations such as the Boys and Girls Club, YMCA, Habitat for Humanity and Feeding America, in addition to local and regional food banks, environmental and rescue organizations, schools, homeless shelters and soup kitchens.
National Footwear Cares Month highlights include:

• 517,549 meals were sorted, packed, prepared or served to food insecure children, families, seniors and the disabled.
• 11,000 pairs of new shoes were distributed to children.
• Over 20 environmental projects were completed to enhance our coastlines, nature trails, community parks and recreation facilities.

“National Footwear Cares Month was an absolute grand slam for the footwear industry, our 83 non-profit partners and the thousands of communities we live in and serve," said Two Ten Footwear Foundation president Neal Newman.

"The social and economic impacts of National Footwear Cares Month are extremely powerful. Over 6,500 footwear volunteers gave 15,000 hours of volunteer service worth over $330,000. Volunteering is not a new phenomenon for shoe people. Two Ten Footwear Foundation was founded 75 years ago by shoe people who came together, rolled up their sleeves and helped raise money for the war effort and footwear families struggling to make ends meet. I'm proud to say that 75 years later, shoe people still lead the pack when it comes to volunteerism and community service."

“The footwear industry’s support for National Footwear Cares Month is unprecedented,” said Stan Friedlander, GMM of Footwear, Amazon Fashion, the title sponsor of Footwear Cares. “The willingness of shoe companies to band together and provide much needed aid in communities throughout the US, the same communities who support the footwear industry year-after-year, is very gratifying. We are thrilled to be part of this unique program and work with a variety of notable footwear brands to support the footwear industry and local communities.”
 
About Two Ten Footwear Foundation
 
During 2014, Two Ten is proudly celebrating its 75^th anniversary as the footwear industry's national charitable foundation -- the only foundation of its kind in the United States. Two Ten is committed to strengthening America’s footwear community by providing emergency financial assistance at times of crisis; college scholarships for footwear employees and their families; community building opportunities; career affinity group networking; and other social and career services.

For more information about Footwear Cares and Two Ten Footwear Foundation, please visit www.twoten.org.

Contacts
Two Ten Footwear Foundation / Maureen Lederhos, 781-736-1525 / mlederhos@twoten.org


By press release