The Little Gym to Distribute Shoes, Gifts to Haiti

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The Little Gym of Gainesville local franchise owners Chad and Tiffany Mussmon along with their five children will be embarking on a trip in December to Haiti with Soles4Souls to size, distribute and give shoes to children in need, but they need the community's help to provide gifts for the Haitian children.

“My young children and our kids at The Little Gym could not believe that some kids in the world do not even have the basic necessity of shoes. When we told them that number is over 300 million worldwide, even I could not comprehend it,” Mussmon said.

He decided that asking the community to donate new or lightly used shoes could make a huge difference to those in need in Haiti, and it would also help children in the community learn to be grateful for what they have.

“Collecting shoes was a simple way to teach children about poverty and the value of giving to others. When they brought their outgrown shoes to The Little Gym, the little ones were proud to donate them. They got involved and now we get the opportunity to travel and give the shoes to children,” he said.

Schools are also extremely important to the children’s ability to survive and thrive in their society. In addition to the protection they offer, shoes are very often considered a required part of the school uniform in developing countries and without shoes many children are unable to attend school.

Thanks to the Gainesville community, The Little Gym collected over 10,000 pairs of shoes. Families from Purcellville to Fairfax to Gainesville dropped off shoes at The Little Gym from January to May, totaling this amazing collection number.

While boxes of shoes are already en route to Haiti, The Little Gym is currently seeking donation of small gifts to go along with the shoes.

“Our goal is to give each child a gift when they get a pair of shoes. Between now and December 1. If you Stop by your local The Little Gym and bring in a new bottle of finger nail polish or sponsor a ball ($7) we will give you a gift certificate to The Little Gym for $20.00,”

Mussmon hopes a fun gift in the spirit of giving will make the experience even more special for the Haitian children, who do not have much and may have never received a gift.

“The reality of life for many individuals in developing nations is that having a pair of shoes is a rarity,” said Mussmon. “It is not uncommon for children to grow up in these areas without ever having had a pair of shoes at all.

The Little Gym is located at 7364 Atlas Drive in Gainesville. Their phone number is 703-753-9101.

Soles4Souls is a global not-for-profit institution dedicated to fighting the devastating impact and perpetuation of poverty. The organization advances its anti-poverty mission by collecting new and used shoes and clothes from individuals, schools, faith-based institutions, civic organizations and corporate partners, then distributing those shoes and clothes both via direct donations to people in need and by provisioning qualified micro-enterprise programs designed to create jobs in poor and disadvantaged communities.  Based in Nashville, Tennessee, Soles4Souls is committed to the highest standards of operating and governance, and holds a four-star rating with Charity 

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