Shoe drive to benefit local children

By Staff
Melissa Cason, Franklin County Times
The Franklin County Department of Human Services will be an official drop of for the Heart and Soul program, an effort to collect shoes for foster children across the state.
The Heart and Soul project's goal is to collect 6,000 pairs of shoes and place them on the steps of the state capitol to bring awareness to foster parenting, Franklin County Foster parent Kim Gaisser said.
According to the project's website, just over 2,000 pairs of shoes have been collected so far. There are over 20 dedicated drop off sites throughout the state.
"The 6,000 pairs of shoes collected will represent the thousands of foster children who need loving homes," Gaisser added.
The project is sponsored by the Alabama Foster and Adoptive Parents Association and publicized by Kids to Love, a non-profit charitable organization that is dedicated to meeting the needs of foster children in Alabama.
There will be a press conference May 1 at 9 a.m. on in Montgomery, and the speaker will be Lee Marshall, a former foster child, which will kick off Foster Parent Awareness month, Gaisser said.
The deadline to turn in shoes is Friday, April 20 at 10 a.m.
Gaisser said that she would be happy to pick up any shoes for local residents who are unable to make it to a drop off point.
The shoes need to be new or gently used and Gaisser can be reached at 205-993-4420 or 256-668-0084.
"I have been a foster parent for years and when I heard about the project it really touched me, so I decided to get involved," Gaisser said of her decision to get Franklin County involved in the project.