Stepping Up with Footwear and Love

A girl can never have too many shoes. And Sylvia Webb has been through about 10,000 pairs since 2007.

“I have in my storage right now about 1,500 pairs of shoes,” she said.

But Webb’s not keeping them all for herself. Webb is the founder of the Smyrna-based nonprofit 40 Girls and Some Shoes, which seeks to distribute new and gently worn shoes to the homeless and underprivileged in Metro Atlanta.

The 501 (c)(3) group distributes shoes several times a year at events like the held in August at the or September’s Fiesta Georgia in Conyers.

Webb was inspired to start 40 Girls and Some Shoes as a means of honoring her cousin. At her cousin’s funeral in 2005 Webb learned that before dying of a heart attack her cousin had lived in a homeless shelter and only had two pairs of shoes.

“So when I got back to Atlanta I thought, ‘Geez how can I honor my cousin? How could this have happened?’” she said.  “And I started volunteering in shelters and with my church with the homeless ministry. And the idea just popped up. And I said, ‘Oh wow, what a great way to honor her and it also allows me the opportunity to give back to my community.’”

At first 40 Girls and Some Shoes was a small effort. Webb collected shoes from friends and family and personally distributed them at homeless shelters. By 2007, the organization had grown and Webb applied for her nonprofit certification and started organizing shoe drives or “shoeraisers.”

Her efforts have grown exponentially and at her annual shoeraiser in August 2011 she collected her 10,000th pair of shoes. Webb’s efforts haven’t gone unnoticed. In November, 40 Girls and Some Shoes will receive a $1,000 grant from Wells Fargo as part of its Days of Giving program for the second year in a row.

Webb is showing no signs of slowing down and has big plans for the future of 40 Girls and Some Shoes.

“My ultimate plan is to have a location, a storefront, where people can come in and get shoes,” she said. “Depending on their income level they can get free or at a minimum amount. I would love to do that. That is my ultimate goal to have a shoe store where I can give away shoes.”

40 Girls and Some Shoes next shoeraiser, Networking for a Cause, will be held at The Weave Boutique ATL, 454 Flat Shoals Ave. SE, Wednesday, Nov. 2 from 6 p.m. to 9 p.m. Attendees are asked to bring a pair of new or gently worn shoes, non-perishable canned goods and winter accessories for donation.

Webb invites interested volunteers to visit the 40 Girls and Some Shoes website to learn about volunteer opportunities or to donate money to the organization.