Nashville --- Tennessee State University women's basketball senior Jasmin Shuler has once again partnered with Souls4Souls, Inc. to collect shoes for individuals in need.

Shu's Shoes 4 Haiti initiative, a community service effort spearheaded by Jasmin Shuler, is in its second year. The drive kicked-off in November and will continue through February 2013. Shuler has also teamed up with the girl's basketball teams from University School of Nashville (USN) and Lebanon High to collect donations.

"Last year's shoe drive was a success," commented Shuler. "We raised over 200 pairs of shoes and this year we want to do even more."

This year, Shuler has extended her outreach beyond Haiti. In addition to providing shoes for those affected by the storm in Haiti she also has taken on the task of providing shoes to individuals in Tennessee.

"There are a lot of people in the state of Tennessee that need shoes, so we wanted to be able to provide those for them. I'm happy to be a blessing to someone else's life."

Soles4Souls and Shu's Shoes 4 Haiti will be collecting your new or gently worn footwear and/or donations to make a tangible difference through the gift of shoes. Every donation will support the charity's initiative to distribute shoes to those in need.

There will be donation locations set up throughout the Gentry Center during all the home basketball games November through February.

Soles4Souls Inc. has committed to collect and distribute shoes to people living in extreme poverty and recovering from natural disasters.  The shoe charity provides one pair of shoes to a person in need every 7 seconds. Since 2005, Soles4Souls has distributed more than 13 million pairs of shoes because of the generosity and commitment of people and organizations like Shu's Shoes 4 Haiti.

Soles4Souls believes partners like Shu's Shoes for Haiti will challenge others to become a force of change by helping the charity cater to the evolving needs of the global community. The shoe charity recognizes its success is the result of individuals and industry partners such as Shu's Shoes for Haiti who clean out closets and warehouses so that individuals around the world can have a better life through American's excess.

"With tragedies such as the earthquakes in countries like Haiti and Japan, on top of the enormous needs elsewhere, we can use the estimated 1.5 billion shoes taking up space in the closets of ordinary people to change the world one pair at a time," said Founder and CEO of Soles4Souls, Wayne Elsey. 

Elsey added, "We need partners like Shu's Shoes 4 Haiti to get behind Soles4Souls. Donating shoes is one of the most simple yet profound acts you can do, because it will greatly improve someone's life in the most difficult of times."

People and companies interested in donating can visit the organization's website at www.giveshoes.org. 

About Soles4Souls®, Clothes4Souls®, and Hope4Souls^TM
Soles4Souls collects new shoes to give relief to the victims of abject suffering and collects used shoes to support micro-enterprise efforts to eradicate poverty.  Soles4Souls' other two divisions, Clothes4Souls and Hope4Souls, provide the same relief and support through clothing and other necessities. Donating parties are eligible for tax advantages.  Visit www.giveshoes.org <http://www.giveshoes.org>, www.clothes4souls.org <http://www.clothes4souls.org>, or www.hope4souls.org <http://www.hope4souls.org> for more information.

---tsutigers---