Samaritan’s Feet On The Move!

Over the past months, Samaritan’s Feet staff had the opportunity to share the mission of Samaritan’s Feet with some amazing individuals in hopes of onboarding them to our cause of counting to zero shoeless people in the world.  We are excited to see what’s yet to come. Let’s Go!

Dromankese, Nkoranza District, Ghana

Our 2-day Shoes of Hope distribution in partnership with @hope_for_ghana_ at Dromankese, Nkoranza district, Bono East Region was a memorable one. The reality encountered on the grounds was heartbreaking yet motivating, young children walking barefoot, others in tattered slippers barely holding together, many with visible injuries from lack of proper footwear. But through our wash-and-wear model, we could CHANGE THAT. This distribution has brought renewed HOPE to the people and community. Our volunteers shared words of encouragement with the people of Dromankese as they received new pairs of antimicrobial World Shoes, turning despair into joy and pain into protection. From walking barefooted to taking confident steps, this is the power of partnership in action!

Memphis, TN

Words can’t begin to describe Samaritan’s Feet International appreciation of cityCURRENT, Higginbotham, Smith+Nephew Todd Lochner, Jeremy C. Park, Johnny Pitts Ben Utecht, Glenda Hastings, Alan Phelps and all our friends and supporters who graciously welcomed us again to Memphis.

To think it was 15 years ago this year, when Smith+Nephew brought us in as a keynote speaker for the very 1st time to Memphis, and years later, thousands of children and seniors have been served with Shoes of Hope across the Volunteer state, thousands of committed volunteers and friends, with tremendous impact and live change experienced across the state of TN.   Our lives have been richly blessed from our years of sowing and serving the amazing people of TN.  $21,000 was raised today in Memphis for Samaritan’s Feet International, meaning come December a few hundred children will be blessed at Las Americas with Christmas Shoes. Praise be to God. #Keepshining my friends, the best is yet to come!

Nigeria Youth Volleyball Program

Since 2012, Samaritan’s Feet has used volleyball to empower girls and boys, offering a pathway to a brighter future. The program helps youth escape slums, poverty, and limited opportunities, regardless of their birthplace or family circumstances, and continues to expand annually.

Goals & Objectives

The Youth Volleyball Mission aims to motivate participants to enroll and stay in school while encouraging them to learn a craft as a path to achieving long-term goals. With an emphasis on expanding opportunities for girls and boys seeking to participate in sports, the Youth Volleyball Mission will provide on-going access to a safe environment to play in, develop self-confidence, and grow towards a better future.

The Youth Volleyball Mission supports participants within the Youth Volleyball League communities to access scholarship opportunities domestically and internationally and provide the opportunity to connect to youths from other parts of the world and to expand beyond Nigeria to other Sub-Saharan African countries and African communities.

Program Structure

• Age Groups: boys and girls between ages 7-17
• Locations: Epe, Laspotech, Ketu, Abesan, Ojo, Apapa, Ijora, Ikorodu, FTC, Sango, Rowe Park, Sango, Surulere
• Timeline: Athletes receive year-round training at a site closest to their home
• Tournaments: every year at the end of July and first of August, athletes are bussed to Teslim Balogun Stadium in Surulere where they compete.
• Volleyball Gear/Shoe Distribution: Players receive new or gently used gear (shoes, socks, jerseys, knee pads) during the tournament. Volunteers wash feet and fit the players with new shoes. Other court gear such as nets, poles, volleyballs, ball carts, antenna, backpacks for coaches, are all collected throughout the year and shipped in for the tournament.
• Donations: we rely on the year-round work of an SF employee and Coach Ibraheem to garner support from high schools, universities, and volleyball clubs who are willing to donate all of the items needed to outfit the players and have sufficient court gear to run practices throughout the year

Kenai Peninsula, Alaska

The Alaska Team served in the Kenai peninsula with 6 great team members and our amazing ministry partner Pastor Shane Hopkins (from lighthouse church) located in Fairbank, AK.  We met with multiple demographics during this week, including elderly (Sterling Senior Center), Indigenous Students (Alaska Christian College, Toulan Charter School Gym), low income/homeless (Kenai Peninsula Food Bank, Arrive Compass Teen / Mission Center). We were able to distribute and donate a total of 463 shoes and socks while also visiting many sites all over the Kenai Peninsula during our free time. The team worked really hard, and because of this we were able to establish many vital partnership that will allow us to visit many times hopefully in the future.