Where Our Donations Go

After receiving the donations from the first ever From Hearts to Soles fundraiser, I had to figure out where and how to donate all the shoes. Because of political tensions and sanctions, transporting more than a few suitcases of shoes to Iran would be dicey, as it might be seen as a commercial activity. We did not by any means expect to raise this many shoes. However, we were able to transport what was just over 100 pairs of shoes, so we delivered on our promise that most of the shoes would be delivered to impoverished children in Iran.

After the shoes got into Iran, we needed to find a place to donate the shoes where they would not be seized from the children. Luckily, my mom and grandma knew of a system of group homes and orphanages in the southern, rural part of Iran that is terribly underfunded and in need of goods. Since it is not safe for my mother and I to go to this area of the country, my mom and I could not deliver the shoes ourselves. As a result, we asked some of my mom’s friends if they would deliver the shoes, and they said it would be their pleasure to do so. Our first set of shoes had been delivered!

Still, we had roughly 100 pairs of shoes that we needed to donate, so I did some research and found a few places that donate all sorts of supplies to refugees in the Greater Phoenix area and all over the United States. The two places we donate to the most are The Welcome to America Project and the International Rescue Committee. Both of these places take our goods, distribute them to refugees in need, and help us fulfill our mission. These organizations are the last places our donations go before they are given directly to refugees in order to aid them in starting a new life.