Vernon woman conducting shoe drive

VERNON — Sussex County resident and member of Paterson Rotarian in Rotary Club #70, JoAnn Bartoli is conducting a shoe drive fundraiser through Nov. to raise funds for the Gift of Life program.
Rotary will earn funds based on the total weight of the pairs of gently worn, used and new shoes collected, as Funds2Orgs will issue a check for the collected shoes. Those dollars will benefit Gift of Life, a program that provides lifesaving cardiac surgery to children who do not have the resources or come from countries without the medical technology. Anyone can help by donating gently worn, used and new shoes by contacting JoAnn Bartoli at 973-262-2794
All donated shoes will then be redistributed throughout the Funds2Orgs network of micro-enterprise (small business) partners. Funds2Orgs works with micro-entrepreneurs in helping them create, maintain and grow small businesses in developing countries where economic opportunity and jobs are limited. Proceeds from the sales of the shoes collected in shoe drive fundraisers are used to feed, clothe and house their families. One budding entrepreneur in Haiti even earned enough to send to her son to law school.
"We are excited about this shoe drive coordinated by Ms. Bartoli" said Joseph Sterba, Paterson Rotary Club President. "We know that most people have extra shoes in their closets they would like to donate to us. By doing so, we raise money for Gift of Life and we have the chance to help families in developing nations who need economic opportunities. It's a win-win for everyone.”
By donating gently worn, used and new shoes to the Paterson Rotary Club the shoes will be given a second chance and make a difference in people’s lives around the world.