SACO— A local church is asking community members to donate unwanted shoes to help preserve the 190-year-old place of worship and help budding business owners across the world.

Trinity Episcopal Church, 403 Main St., recently launched a church preservation fundraiser called Soles for Souls, which will run through Oct. 22.

The church is collecting gently used and new shoes that will be collected and given to 
Funds2Orgs. Shoes collected at Funds2Orgs shoe drives become inventory for micro-entrepreneurs in developing countries who clean, repair and repurpose the shoes and sell them for a profit, according to information from the Funds2Orgs website. 

All types of shoes are accepted, but must be donated in pairs, according to information from Funds2Orgs.

“We are excited about our shoe drive,” said Nancy Ponzetti, senior warden in a written statement from the church. “We know that most people have extra shoes in their closets they would like to donate to us. By doing so, we raise money, and we have the chance to help families in developing nations who need economic opportunities. It’s a win-win for everyone.”

Trinity Episcopal Church was consecrated on Nov. 20, 1827, and is the oldest church in Saco, according to church officials. It was moved to its current location on the corner of Cleveland and Main streets in 1959.

Anyone who wishes to donate shoes can do so at collection bins located outside the church. 

More than 600 million pairs of shoes are thrown away annually in the United States, according to Funds2orgs. The materials used to manufacture a pair of shoes are created from chemical compounds that will create health hazards if left to disintegrate openly or in landfills, according to Funds2Orgs.

— Staff Writer Liz Gotthelf can be contacted at 282-1535, ext. 325 or [email protected].