Harvest Temple Church in Springfield will be collecting shoes for those in need, thanks to a donation from Lowe’s in Rincon.

Lynn Jarriel, pastor of Harvest Temple, said the project will be called the shoe box project.

He said by using the donated material, containers are being made to look like large shoeboxes and will be placed around the county to collect new or used shoes. The church will then give the shoes to those who need them.

“We have the opportunity to do something in the community that is unique,” Jarriel said.

He said there are a few organizations that provide food to those who need it, but there is not something to provide shoes for people who need them.

Jarriel said the church plans to work with the Department of Family and Children Services and with local school principals.

“They see children’s needs that we don’t,” he said.

He said principals would be able to pick up shoes and give them to children in their school who need them.
Jarriel said the project came about from Lowe’s donation.

“We didn’t know we were going to do this until the donation,” Jarriel said.

He said there will be 50 or 60 shoeboxes made with the donated material.

He said the manager at Lowe’s asked if Harvest Temple needed materials for its thrift store and brought the materials to the church.

“If this project works, we will have to expand the thrift store,” Jarriel said.

He said the expansion would need to be made to hold the shoes where people would be able to come and get them.

Jarriel said the church just wants to contribute in the community, and the church has never done a shoe drive before.