(above) Sarah Patterson with Lizzy Swiderski from Souls4Soles.
Kumpf NJHS Student Organizes Soles4Souls Service Project
Sarah Patterson, an 8th grade National Junior Honor Society member at Carl H. Kumpf Middle School in Clark, recently organized a service project to benefit Soles4Souls. Soles4Souls began as a disaster relief organization after the disaster of Hurricane Katrina; the organization is now a non-profit that seeks to help victims of disaster to “get back on their feet.” Since Souls4Soles began, they have helped distribute more than 35 million pairs of shoes to more than 127 different countries.
Over the course of the fifteen-day Clark Travel Basketball Tournament, Sarah volunteered more than thirty hours of her time. During this time, Sarah set up a table and displayed a tri-fold poster explaining the organization to tournament guests. By the end of the tournament, Sarah collected, sorted, and bagged more than 450 pairs of shoes. Each pair of shoes had to be banded together, organized into bags, and had to be accompanied by a donor form. Sarah’s efforts have helped to provide food, shelter, and education to an entire family for 235 days. In addition, Sarah’s donations have gone to better serve our environment as they’ve been recycled instead of ending up in a landfill.
Ms. Hamilton, the NJHS advisor commented, “I’m very proud of Sarah for finding a service project that touches on so many aspects of what it means to be a good citizen. She has found a way to donate to those in need, provide educational and employment opportunities, and help save our environment. Nicely done!”
Photo by Clark Public Schools
