While shopping with his mom in 2019, Mateo Bryce saw a donation box for the Soles4Souls nonprofit and felt inspired to give back. After recruiting his friends Will and Matt Blount, the trio decided to start a shoe drive in Southlake to collect 10,000 pairs of shoes for people in need around the world. Reaching that once-lofty goal three years later this January, Mateo, Will and Matt have now set their sights on an even higher goal.
MATEO: I WAS SHOPPING WITH… my mom for shoes in Southlake and saw a Soles4Souls box by the checkout line. My mom had just challenged me to find a local organization I was passionate about and do something to give back. I lived eight years in Latin America, and after seeing videos of what Soles4Souls does in developing countries to help wipe out poverty, I knew I wanted to do something to help.
MATT: I WAS INTERESTED IN HELPING… with the shoe drive because I love shoes, and I know how important it is to have a good pair. After learning more about Soles4Souls, I realized how fortunate we are in Southlake. I also looked forward to working with my brother and friend. We were in it together, which made it so much more fun.
MATT: THE FIRST DAY OF THE DRIVE WAS… [during] the summer of 2019. We went door to door in our neighborhood and delivered flyers. People were very supportive and wanted to help. This is when I knew we could have a successful shoe drive.
MATEO: WE COULDN’T DO IT BY JUST… going door to door asking for donations. We had to partner with local schools, youth groups, our church and other service organizations like YMSL, Play It Forward, Little Helpers of Dallas/Ft. Worth, the Southlake Foundation, Boy Scouts and others. We made presentations to local groups on the power of a pair of shoes and partnered with shoe retailers like VANS and Bear Creek Running to expand our reach.
WILL: AFTER LOOKING AT THE FIRST DONATION… we collected, I thought for sure we had at least 1,000 pairs. But when we counted the shoes, it was only a little over 100 pairs. Once we reached 1,500, we had developed a great cadence and felt great about nearing the 2K mark.
MATEO: WE REACHED OUR… goal in January of this year. It felt great to finally reach our goal after almost three years. There were many times along the way when we thought we would never reach it.
MATT: WE SPENT MANY, MANY… weekends and evenings sorting, bagging and delivering our shoes.
WILL: WE HAVE GOTTEN SO MUCH… support from our generous community. The response has been overwhelming, and we are so grateful for all those who have donated over the past 3 1/2 years.
MATEO: SOLES4SOULS HAS A FEATURE… on its website called the impact calculator that shows how your shoe donation helps the planet and changes lives. According to the website, 10,188 pairs of shoes can provide a full year of food, shelter and education for 15 families in countries like Haiti and Honduras. It also keeps 12,735 pounds of textiles out of our overcrowded landfills, helping to reduce our environmental footprint.
MATT: I HOPE PEOPLE LEARN THAT… there are many ways to give back to those in need, and it doesn’t have to be something big. We collected used shoes for the past 3 1/2 years, but to others, those shoes are a way to break the cycle of poverty and provide opportunity.
MATEO: WE ACCEPT ALL… sizes and styles of shoes for men, women and children. That includes boots, sandals, dress shoes, cleats, sneakers, flip-flops — anything that is in good condition.
MATEO: I WOULD LOVE TO ONE DAY… have the opportunity to travel back to Latin America and distribute new shoes to people in need. My long-term goal is to pursue a degree in business and start a socially conscious company one day that would combine my interest in business with my passion for helping others.
WILL: MY [AND MATT’S] PLAN IS TO LOOP IN… our younger brother [Ben] who will continue to collect shoes people no longer want and keep working toward the next goal of 25K. If this goal is reached, a trip will be arranged to travel to one of the countries where the shoes are distributed.