Donate Your Unwanted Shoes And Help The Smith Family To Change Lives

This July, giant collection shoeboxes will pop up in Mirvac Shopping Centres across the country for community initiative, Share My Shoes, to raise much needed funds for Australia’s largest children’s education charity, The Smith Family.

Last year, 12,000 pairs of shoes were donated across Mirvac Retail centres and this year, the brand will look to double that figure, aiming to collect 24,000 before the month-long initiative ends. Sarah Harris, co-host of Network Ten’s Studio 10 and Smith Family ambassador, is asking customers to look in their wardrobes to find a pair of shoes they can donate for a good cause.

“Everyone has a pair of lonely shoes in their wardrobe that they no longer wear, or love! Share My Shoes is the perfect opportunity to donate a pair of shoes and you’ll feel great knowing you’re helping The Smith Family support disadvantaged children with their education,” said Ms Harris.

The giant replica shoe boxes will act as a collection point for communities to donate their pre-loved shoes from Monday 3 – Sunday 30 July.The donated shoes will be sold through The Smith Family’s stores, with proceeds helping to deliver educational support programs to 33,000 disadvantaged children and young people across Australia.

For those who don’t have a spare pair of shoes to give, Mirvac will donate $1 to The Smith Family for every shoe picture posted on Facebook and Instagram using @sharemyshoes.

Mirvac Retail’s National Marketing Manager, Paul Pozzobon, said, “Share My Shoes was a raging success in its inaugural year and we have our fingers crossed to double donations this year for The Smith Family. The centres’ local communities really pitched in, with every centre having to empty their collection boxes numerous times throughout the campaign due to overflow!

“Donations in 2016 totalled 12,000 pairs of shoes. If they weren’t donated, that number would have eventually equated to 8.1 tonnes of landfill. We are thrilled to once again support our national charity, The Smith Family, and help improve the educational futures of disadvantaged young Australians.”

Judy Barraclough, The Smith Family’s Head of Strategy and Philanthropy, said Share My Shoes is a fun opportunity for the community to help disadvantaged children get the educational support they need.

“Right now there are 1.1 million children and young people living in poverty in Australia,” said Ms Barraclough.

“Too often, the struggles that affect a child’s home life can flow into their school life, impacting their motivation, engagement and achievement of benchmarks.”

“At The Smith Family we are focused on providing educational support to help children break the cycle of disadvantage.
“Share My Shoes is a wonderful campaign and each shoe donation or ‘shoefie’ will help us to give a child living in poverty the support they need at succeed at school.

“This July please support Share My Shoes and recycle to help break the cycle!”

Share My Shoes will run from Monday, 3 July through to Sunday, 31 July 2017, visit www.mirvacretail.com.au to find your local centre and locate your giant collection shoebox. Shoes donated are to be clean with laces tied together.