Too Many Shoes? Kicks 4 The City Needs Them For ATL Shoe Drive

ATLANTA, GA — The 8th Annual Kicks 4 The City Shoe Drive will be distributing shoes Saturday at the Gateway Center, 275 Pryor Street NW Atlanta. They're collecting new or gently worn shoes, all sizes until Thursday. People can drop off shoes at these seven sites through the 21st:

They’ve set this year’s goal at 100,000 total pairs of shoes. Last year they reached 86,000. Currently, they're operating in seven cities: Atlanta, Charlotte, Chicago, New Orleans, New York, St. Louis and Washington, D.C. In 2017, K4TC delivered 300 pairs of new sneakers to children in Ghana, and for the last four years, they've hosted "AGORA," an annual charitable ball where attendees wear gala attire matched with sneakers. AGORA V will be the final event taking place next year.

Atlanta K4TC ambassador, Tony Mitchell, said this is a charity initiative everyone can participate in, which is why he’s been involved for about five years, although this is his second year as an Atlanta ambassador. He and the organization’s founder went to college together.

“It was a way to give back that was within my means,” said Mitchell. “I think a lot of us can understand that there has been a large sneaker culture. I’ve always liked sneakers, and so it felt like a way that I could give back that really fit with who I was. Whether you’re six or 60, everyone has shoes they don’t wear.”

For the last eight years, the organization has been collecting shoes during the month of November in the weeks leading up to the distribution day. This year will be their last year operating in that capacity, Mitchell said, adding that K4TC isn’t going anywhere.

“It’s not going away,” he said, adding that ending the annual drive will give the team time to think bigger when it comes to partnering with conferences, disaster relief efforts and other opportunities.

“That’s the way we’re going to be moving, and not in such a regimented type of drop off distribution thing every November,” said Mitchell. “Kicks in itself will still be working in some capacity, it just won’t look like how it has in the past.”

Kicks 4 The City started in 2012 when its founder Justin Johnson was approached by a homeless person outside of a grocery store in St. Louis who appeared to be around his age, according to the group’s website. Initially, asked for money, Johnson said no, and continued to his car. A few moments later he changed his mind and decided to get to know the individual. They met several times to talk and it was one day that Johnson said he noticed the man needed a pair of shoes. That was the beginning of Kicks 4 The City.

They’re encouraging people to get involved.

“Justin always talks about Kicks as a way we can make philanthropy fun because when people think of giving back they sometimes look at it as this tight, got to be stuffy kind of thing,” said Mitchell. “It doesn’t have to be like that. It can be fun, you kick it with your people, and still really make an impact in various communities across the United States.”

To donate monetarily to the organization, visit the website at www.kicks4thecity.org/donate.