WEYMOUTH, Mass. — In what began as a school service project inspired by her late grandmother, a Hingham teen is on a mission to improve lives by donating shoes to people both at home and across the world.
Maggie Driscoll, a 15-year-old Tabor Academy freshman from Hingham, is an ambassador for Soles4Souls, a Tennessee-based organization that provides shoes to people in need.
The charity collects new and gently used shoes to distribute to people across the nation as well as to individuals in developing countries to sell as they launch and support their small businesses.
“It’s truly incredible,” Maggie told Boston 25 News Sunday. “Every single day, I wake up and I feel so incredibly grateful to be able to support this organization.”
About once a week, Maggie and her mother visit the Soles4Souls’ only Massachusetts storage facility in Weymouth, dropping off bags of donated shoes.
Sneakers, sandals, heels, boots, cleats and ballet slippers are among the piles of bags.
“An individual previously came and donated 350 pairs of shoes, which is a lot,” Maggie said. “And then we have others who come and drop off a bag. So, it’s really – the big donations are amazing, but the small donations are also amazing… Every donation counts.”
Maggie estimates she has about 7,000 pairs of shoes in the storage unit, with the goal of 10,000 to be collected before a semi-truck picks up the load for the organization to distribute later.
“With these donations, kids especially are able to walk unhurt, and they’re able to participate in activities,” Maggie said. “I remember the start of every school year, receiving a new pair of school shoes is an amazing feeling.”
Maggie’s involvement with the organization began in middle school at Derby Academy, where she was awarded the Foley Citizenship prize.
As the recipient, she spearheaded this shoe donation campaign, organizing shoe drives and setting up donation bins in her community.
It was Maggie’s late grandmother’s legacy that sparked her passion for donating shoes. The schoolteacher of 20 years in a small Wisconsin town had raised money to provide new shoes to children each year.
As an eighth-grader at Derby, Maggie collected about 2,000 pairs of shoes for Soles4Souls.
Now, a year and a half later, supported by her community and her new school, Maggie has no intention of stopping.
“To see the impact it has, that’s kind of the main driver,” Maggie said. “I’m hoping to do this for as long as possible.”
To donate to Soles4Souls, visit Donate Shoes | Soles4Souls, or to arrange a drop-off in the Weymouth area, email soles4ma@gmail.com.
This is a developing story. Check back for updates as more information becomes available.
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