The economic impact of COVID-19 has left many in Greater Milwaukee struggling to make ends meet.

Now you can spread kindness and help those less fortunate by simply clearing out your closet and dropping off your new or gently used shoes, sneakers and boots for men, women and kids  as well as new socks at Stan’s Fit For Your Feet annual “Share-A-Pair” drive from Monday, Feb. 1, through Sunday, Feb. 28.

Items can be dropped off from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. Monday through Friday; from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Saturdays and 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. at any of the “Share-A-Pair” collection bins. They are located at Stan’s in Brookfield at The Plaza at 17155 W. Bluemound Road; Stan’s in Glendale across from BayShore at 505 W. Silver Spring Drive; Stan’s in Greenfield in the Layton Plaza at 7405 W. Layton Ave.; New Balance Milwaukee store in Brookfield at 17155 W. Bluemound Road, Suite A; or New Balance Milwaukee in Greenfield at 7411 W. Layton Ave.

This year, the donated shoes, sneakers, boots and socks for men, women, and kids will be distributed locally to the Milwaukee Rescue Mission/Joy House, Repairers of the Breach homeless day shelter in Milwaukee and Father Gene’s HELP Center in West Allis. The remainder of the shoes will be given to Soles4Souls, a global not-for-profit organization that distributes shoes to impoverished people in more than 125 countries around the world.

According to Megan Sajdak, marketing director for Stan’s Fit For Your Feet, “A new component to our shoe and sock drive this year is that customers will also be able to round up their in-store and online purchases to benefit the three charities participating in Share A Pair Shoe Drive.  It’s just one more way we thought we would continue to help those less fortunate in our community.”

Anyone donating gently used or new shoes, sneakers or boots or new socks to the “Share-A-Pair” drive will also receive $10 off their next regular price men’s and women’s shoe purchase valid through the end of February at any Stan’s Fit For Your Feet or New Balance Milwaukee location.

Sajdak adds, “The community can also get to know our charity organizations better by tuning into our Facebook Live events, watching video profiles about them on our website Stansfootwear.com. Now, more than ever, it is so important for us to spread kindness.”

Since its inception 15 years ago, Stan’s Fit For Your Feet’s annual “Share-A-Pair” shoe drive has collected more than 295,000 new and gently used pairs of shoes from Greater Milwaukee residents. For more information on the “Share-A-Pair” shoe drive, visit www.stansfootwear.com or call 262-432-4030.