Miami Dade College Assists Local Charity Effort in Collecting Shoes for Disadvantaged Residents in Haiti and Jamaica

MIAMI – A partnership between Miami Dade College (MDC) students and healthcare workers at Coconut Grove’s Sister Emmanuel Hospital has been established to provide adequate shoes for disadvantaged residents living in Haiti and Jamaica.

The donation drive, “These Boots Are Made For Walking” will accept used and new shoes at several MDC campuses until Oct. 7, 2009.

Shoes should be in good condition, cleaned, tied jointly to keep pairs together, and delivered to the Student Life office at one of the following MDC campuses:

– Wolfson Campus, 300 N.E. Second Ave., downtown Miami – Bldg. 2, Room 2101

– West Campus, 3800 N.W. 115th Ave., Bldg. 2, Room 1115

– North Campus, 11380 N.W. 27th Ave., Bldg. 4, Room 4208

– Medical Center Campus, 950 N.W. 20th St., Bldg. 1, Room 1150

– Kendall Campus, 11011 S.W. 104th St., Bldg. 1, Room 100

– InterAmerican Campus, 627 S.W. 27th Ave., Room 1121

– Homestead Campus, 500 College Terrace, Buildings A and B, First Floor

– Hialeah Campus, 1780 W. 49th St., Room 1118

– Carrie P. Meek Entrepreneurial Education Center, 6300 N.W. Seventh Ave., Room 1101

Shoes can also be delivered to Sister Emmanuel Hospital, which is housed on the fourth floor of Mercy Hospital at 3663 South Miami Ave., in Coconut Grove.

The idea for the shoe drive began when Marjorie Scott, a certified nursing assistant, traveled to rural Jamaica as part of a medical mission trip. During the trip, Scott was shocked at the condition of the feet of those needing medical care. Upon her return to the States, Scott convinced her colleague, Annette Kerney, an environmental technician, to help her collect as many shoes as possible to donate to the poor men, women and children living in Jamaica and Haiti.

“We are recycling shoes to salvage feet,” said Scott. “Soles helping souls; simply put, we are people helping people.”