Pictured: Tya Robison on behalf of the Oregon Food Bank Donor Services & Current Sunset High School Student, Ulysses Vasquez Valdez

As a part of his Rachel Carson Environmental School 8th Grade Project, Ulysses Vasquez, led Five Oaks Middle School in collecting, packing and sending gently used kicks to Project Sole. Not only did all of those shoes travel to Africa for distribution, but also, Project Sole donated $352 to the charity of Ulysses’ choice. Ulysses named the Oregon Food Bank as the recipient of the donation. For every dollar that the Oregon Food Bank collects, they are able to provide 5 pounds of food to a local family in need. So those stinky shoes and the $352 they generated is equivalent to donating 1,760 pounds of food!

PUTNAM VALLEY — Some women like to collect shoes for fun and a passion for fashion. Debbie Sarich is collecting shoes for another kind of passion — a passion for motherhood.

The energetic single mom of three adopted youngsters from Putnam Valley is looking to extend her brood with another addition, and she’s turning to an innovative way of doing it — collecting old shoes. For every pair she receives, she gets $2 and will be one step closer to adopting her fourth child, Tselot, 2, from Ethiopia. All of her kids — from Guatemala, Russia and Bulgaria — have medical issues, and the toddler from Africa, whom Sarich is planning to call Sadee, has cerebral palsy.

While it’s clearly a non-traditional family, Sarich is traditional in many ways, dishing out hugs on demand for her kids, cooking hamburgers for them and driving the ultimate suburban mom-mobile, a minivan with a license plate that reads LUKY MOM.

“There’s a place in my heart for special-needs kids, and there are so many out there,” she said. “And I can handle them.”

Sarich, a pediatric physical therapist who works for Somers and Mahopac schools, and in private practice, feels a particularly fierce maternal attachment to youngsters who need a little extra attention.

While she always dreamed of having a passel of kids of her own growing up in Yorktown, the right guy never materialized, and Sarich found herself taking seminars on the adoption process when she was about to turn 40. Her biological clock, she said, had turned into a foghorn.

Now that she’s a mom three times over, she said, it was everything she hoped for.

“There is no feeling like it, I love it. The kids are my life, and it’s a good family unit,” she said.

As to concerns that she may be taking on more than she can handle, Sarich said she has a solid career, health insurance, two parents and a step-parent who are supportive, and she has no intention of drawing resources from a governmental social service agency. Her kids are enrolled in regular classes in Putnam Valley.

Plus she has stamina that may make her the envy of the playground set.

“I function better with a full plate,” she said.

The nonprofit she is partnering with, Project Sole, distributes shoes in Africa, Asia, Central and South America. Shoe projects are headed for Costa Rica, Jamaica and Morocco later in the year. It was co-founded by two college students who were troubled by seeing so many people walking barefoot in Honduras.

“We go all over the world to bring footwear to orphanages and little villages,” said Project Sole director Jaron Wilson. “The focus is on poverty-stricken areas, or places affected by natural disasters.”

While people in the developing world typically have access to flip-flops or other rudimentary footwear made locally, sturdy shoes can be hard to come by or afford. Solid footwear is useful in preventing infectious diseases, and it can also help people become more mobile, productive and comfortable, Wilson noted. Work boots are especially prized.

It’s an easy sell, Wilson said, and his organization works with churches, sports clubs, Boy Scouts and other organizations.

Sarich would like to raise about $10,000. An overseas adoption costs about $30,000.

The expectant mother is looking forward to seeing the little youngster in Ethiopia, perhaps even wrapping her arms around her by the end of the year.

“Hopefully, soon I’ll have hundreds of shoes,” Sarich said.

“Project Sole has committed to trips to Mexico, Costa Rica, Jamaica, Morocco and Honduras during 2013″ said Jaron Wilson, Co-Founder of Project Sole. “This generous donation from Vibram will assist our five trips to improve the lives of many people who struggle to attain some of life’s most basic necessities. We are extremely grateful for the opportunity to work with this conscientious and proactive company.”

The Premier Basketball Club which offers personal development experience through the game of basketball for boys and girls ages 3-19, is launching a new initiative to collect used and outgrown shoes. The program, called “Kicks & Dribbles,” benefits Project Sole, the international charity that collects shoes and distributes them to people in need around the globe. The program provides an interactive way for kids to learn the value of charity and recycling.

Premier Basketball Club offers basic, beginning level basketball programs all the way up to nationally competitive elite club teams. These kids can donate shoes they have outgrown or no longer need in boxes designated for Project Sole located in the lobbies and locker room locations. The shoes will be shipped to Project Sole, which is committed to collecting and distributing shoes to people living in extreme poverty and recovering from natural disasters.

Premier Basketball Club and Project Sole are challenging athletes and their families to donate 3,000 adult and youth shoes. For those children who grow up barefoot, every step counts in building self-confidence, even receiving a donation of a single pair of shoes. For the adults without adequate footwear, these shoes make traveling and working bearable.

One hundred percent of all shoes donated to Project Sole are sustainable: More than 97% are used to help those in need, and the remaining that cannot be used are directed to a grinding facility where they are used to produce environmentally clean and renewable products.

About Colorado Premier Basketball Club
It is the mission of Premier Basketball Club to provide an exceptional personal development experience through the game of basketball for youth ages 3-19 by teaching the values of hard work, accountability, team play, competitiveness and sportsmanship. They provide comprehensive programs that help all of their athletes, from the beginning player to their elite national level players, become the best players and people they can be.

Their goal is to provide a safe and positive environment where all children feel valued and can feel great about their accomplishments. Visit their website: www.coloradopremierbasketball.com and connect with them on facebook at: www.facebook.com/coloradopremierbasketballclub.

January 1 through January 21 adidas outlet stores will help this global relief initiative by accepting donations of new or gently worn shoes on behalf of Project Sole. Individuals making a donation during the collection drive will be rewarded with $10 off their purchase of a new pair of shoes at any adidas outlet store locations.  The shoes donated will be used to support the charity’s relief efforts, as well as their micro-enterprise program.

Formed as a charity in 2009, Project Sole has distributed more than 750,000 pairs of shoes across 39 countries. Project Sole partners with progressive companies in the footwear industry like adidas to directly impact the lives of people suffering from natural disasters or striving to break free from poverty.

“We deeply appreciate this opportunity to work with adidas and its customers,” said Zachary Stevens, Chief Executive Officer of Project Sole.  “Our experiences over the past few years have made us certain that this partnership will result in inspiring personal stories from many individuals and communities who will be directly blessed from our combined efforts.”

Below is a comprehensive list of participating adidas outlet store locations. (click the image to enlarge):

SANTIAGO CHILE – With the support of a generous donation from Keen Footwear in Portland, OR Project Sole was able to provide thousands of people with the holiday gift of shoes. Schools and communities were visited in six cities throughout the South American country Chile (Santiago, Olmue, Valparaiso, Iquique, Osorno and Coyhaique) and over 7,000 pairs of shoes were distributed.

Among these visits, stops were made at 4 schools for children with mental disabilities who were grateful to receive these shoes in preparation for their upcoming Special Olympics games. “We can’t fully express our appreciation for the shoes given to our kids” explained Mariela Sanchez. “They will be running and climbing the walls with energy and anticipation for their competitions!”

We want to provide a little holiday cheer by offering this uniquely cool Project Sole Ornament.

For last year’s ornament click here.

Click image to enlarge.

In 2011 it was reported that 27% of Ghana’s population lives on less than $1/day. Our Shoe Crew will be leaving on December 3rd to spend an entire week visiting orphanages and villages in need throughout the Western Africa country and spreading Holiday cheer with the gift of appropriate footwear.

Trevon Angulo from Canico Studios will also be accompanying us on this trip, so you can anticipate another captivating video highlighting our trip.

Please check back often for footage from the #sneakersantas.

Among these visits, stops were made at 4 schools for children with mental disabilities who were grateful to receive these shoes in preparation for their upcoming Special Olympics games. “We can’t fully express our appreciation for the shoes given to our kids” explained Mariela Sanchez. “They will be running and climbing the walls with energy and anticipation for their competitions!”