CLEVELAND — West Rowan Elementary is in the midst of a shoe drive and is asking for help.

“Help us raise funds for our school just by donating gently worn, used and new shoes,” reads a flyer posted online by the school. “Be sure to ask friends, family, neighbors and co-workers to donate too!”

As the PTA, the drive organizers, points out, the benefits to this mission are two-pronged. 

“Collected shoes not only help support us, but they will be reused and given a second life by those in need through #microenterprise,” they said. “It’s a win-win!”

Each grade level will compete to donate the most shoes for a chance to win a celebration party. 

“Help us reach our first goal to fill 100 bags of shoes each containing 25 pairs,” the flyer said. 

An example of good shoes to donate are those that are “gently worn or used … in good condition, clean and still wearable.”

Shoes that will not be accepted are used shoes that have soles falling off, broken heels or parts and that are no longer wearable. 

The drive supports small business owners from around the world through the effort called Shoes with Heart’s #microenterprise outreach. 

The Shoes With Heart website outlines the drive’s mission and how it helps those in impoverished countries where “hundreds of thousands of people decide to become micro-entrepreneurs.”

So what does that mean?

They become small business owners. 

“So, when you collect gently worn, used and new shoes, you help them,” the site says. “You see, the shoes you collect become inventory for micro-entrepreneurs. Shoes With Heart and our sister brands, Funds2Orgs and Sneakers4Good, ship the shoes worldwide.”

Then, the micro-enterprise partners sell the shoes in their local communities for commerce and profit. 

According to the site, small-family owned enterprises make up the vast majority of businesses in developing countries, noting that because of poverty, “many have to create their own opportunities.” 

As a result, community shoe drive fundraisers become part of an “essential commerce ecosystem.”

Keep those old shoes out of the landfill and donate to West Rowan Elementary School’s drive.