By: Hollie Hojek
hhojek@kcautv.com
They're a size eight, womens'. With shiny leopard print and a knotted bow on the front. They are the one-millionth pair of shoes processed at Village Northwest Unlimited in Sheldon, Iowa. And Harvey Spittel was right there when it happened.
"Real good, real well,"said Spitell.
Spittel, like many of his co-workers, suffered from some type of traumatic brain injury, and Village Northwest gives them a place to work, and an opportunity to give back. In 2009, Village Northwest teamed up with Soles4Souls, a non for profit organization, that helps distribute shoes to people in need in more than 100 different countries. Some weeks, packaging as many as6,000 shoes. And while the task may seem simple, the impact it has is profound.
"People are barefoot walking around on rubble and glass, and who knows what else. There's millions of people who just need them. And it's really just a wonderful opportunity for us... to help some people out," said Dave Hoffman, with Village Northwest.
And the folks at Village Northwest are certainly not stopping at one-million. There is over 10,000 pairs of shoes still needing to be separated and sent out right now.
So while a million pairs of shoes certainly is something to celebrate, for Spittel and his co-workers, it's back to the grind, pairing soles, for the ones who really need it.
If you'd like to learn how to donate a pair of shoes to Village Northwest just click on this link, Village Northwest Unlimited.
