Local Non-Profit Fights Poverty, Supports Education with Shoes

pur[SHOE]ing joy is a non-profit, based in Oxford, was started by Ole Miss grads Shelby Ausband and Ty New. The sole purpose of pur[SHOE]ing joy is to break the cycle of poverty for families in Guatemala by giving them shoes, allowing children to attend school, and giving them a better quality of life.
On Saturday, July 19, pur[SHOE]ing joy and Oxford Boy Scout Troop 45 are hosting a shoe drive at First Presbyterian Church, just off the Square on Van Buren, from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. The group is looking for lightly used and/or new closed-toe children’s shoes to send to Guatemala. Monetary donations also make a huge impact on the organization’s goals.
So, start gathering up those shoes that the kids have out grown, don’t wear, and are collecting dust!
For more information about pur[shoe]ing joy, their mission and the shoe drive, visit their website at www.purshoeingjoy.org , ‘Like’ them on Facebook and following them on Twitter and Instagram!

Background
After graduating from Ole Miss, co-founder Ty New moved to Antigua, Guatemala for nearly a year to build houses and teach school. While there, he and brother Lee saw a huge need for shoes to help fight the poverty cycle. Guatemalan children cannot attend school without shoes, so donations made on July 19 can be the difference in a child’s education.
pur[shoe]ing joy has collected more than 5,000 pairs of shoes so far and have made two delivers to Guatemalan villages. The organization has partnered with the Ole Miss Student Athlete Committee and is the service project for Ole Miss Orientation this summer. The shoe drive on July 19 is also sponsored by Oxford’s Boy Scout Troop 45 as part of George Moak’s Eagle Scout project.