Got New Shoes for X-mas? Donate Your Old Ones to People in Need

If you're currently making room in your closet for all of the new shoes you got for Christmas, don't throw the old ones away.

Consider donating them to the 31st Annual Shoes for the Holidays Campaign, a local drive that gets gently-used or new pairs of shoes and socks to Northern Coloradans in need.

Presented by the Anderson Podiatry Center, the campaign accepts any type of shoe, from dress shoes to work boots, as long as the pair is in good condition (and new socks).

The drive ends on January 1, so there is still time to get shoes and socks to the more than 4,000 people in Northern Colorado who need them.

While there is still a need for donations in the coming days, the campaign has already made a big local impact.

Erin Bergstrom, co-facilitator of the drive, witnessed this impact firsthand.

She was able to contribute to the campaign herself, donating a pair of new cowboy boots to an earnest 5-year-old named Abijah, whose single mother struggled to provide for him.

"Like young mothers everywhere, [his mom] often sacrifices her own needs for the needs of her only child," said Bergstrom. "I wanted to do something for this engaging and sweet little boy."

According to Bergstrom, Abijah was ecstatic to have his very own pair of cowboy boots. In fact, he was so grateful that he even offered to give Bergstrom his hat as a thank you.

If you would like to grant this same joy to someone else in need, contact Bergstrom directly at (970)-691-0320 to arrange a drop-off.

Otherwise, drop-offs can be made at the following locations (call for specific times):

• Anderson Podiatry Center - 1355 Riverside Ave. Suite C - (970)-484-4620
• Runner's Roost - 3500 S. College Ave. Suite 178 - (970)-224-9144
• Immanuel Lutheran Church and School - 4650 Sunview Drive - (970)-667-4506
• J. Day's Appliance - 132 E. 7th St. - (970)-669-1357
• Anderson Podiatry Center - 1440 N. Boise Ave. - (303)-469-2940
• Anderson Podiatry Center - 1950 Bluegrass Circle, Suite 150 - (307)-634-7062

"We'll take any type or size of gently-used shoes or boots," said Bergstrom. "We'll make sure they get onto the feet of those who want and need them."

To learn more about how you can donate to the 31st Annual Shoes for the Holidays Campaign, listen to the full "Tuned In to NoCo" interview with Erin Bergstrom and staff at the Anderson Podiatry Center below.