Samaritan's Feet

Last updated
Samaritan's Feet
FoundersEmmanuel "Manny" and Tracie Ohonme
Type Non-profit NGO
FocusShoes
Location
Area served
Worldwide
MethodShoe Distributions
Key people
Emmanuel "Manny" Ohonme
(Co-Founder and President)
Tracie Ohonme
(Co-Founder)
Website samaritansfeet.org

Samaritan's Feet, based in Charlotte, North Carolina, is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization that "shares a message of hope and love through washing the feet of impoverished children around the world and adorning them with new shoes." [1] Founded by Emmanuel "Manny" and Tracie Ohonme in 2003, Samaritan's Feet has distributed over 9.4 million pairs of shoes in over 560 U.S. cities and in 109 different countries since its inception. [2]

Contents

History

Manny Ohonme was born and raised in Lagos, Nigeria. After winning a contest put on by Christian missionaries from Wisconsin, he earned himself "his first ever pair of shoes" at 9 years of age, as well hope and inspiration for his future. [3]

With both of these new possessions, he honed his skills in basketball to be recruited to play on a full athletic scholarship in America at the University of North Dakota- Lake Region for the men's basketball team, [4] allowing him to earn both his bachelor's and master's degrees. [5]

After years of success in America's technology sector, he returned home to Nigeria and was moved after seeing many children living without shoes. In 2003, he and his wife Tracie formed Samaritan's Feet.

Since then, Samaritan's Feet has achieved an overall Four Star ranking from Charity Navigator, the highest ranking possible. 91% of the organization's expenses go towards distributing shoes worldwide, with 8.6% being used for fundraising efforts and 5.6% being reserved for administrative salaries. [6]

The organization saw a significant increase in revenue during 2013 and was able to cover all expenses for the year for the first time in at least four years. [6]

Efforts

Shoes of Hope

Shoes of Hope is Samaritan's Feet's primary effort for distributing shoes and socks both domestically and internationally. In addition to giving away footwear, the program also features volunteers washing the feet of the recipient and talking with them about "their dreams and their lives." [7] During 2013, the Shoes of Hope campaign was responsible for distributing 15,864 pairs of shoes and socks in the United States alone, [8] followed a year later by 17,566 worldwide. [9] Within the Shoes of Hope program, there are specific efforts for both domestic and international missions.

In the United States

During the 2013 holiday season, Samaritan's Feet partnered with the University of California, Los Angeles' women's basketball team to donate over 500 pairs of new shoes and socks to the students of Rosemont Avenue Elementary School in the Los Angeles Unified School District. [10] Between October 2014 and April 2015, Indiana's credit unions and Samaritan's Feet partnered to distribute over 1000 pairs of shoes across the state of Indiana. [11] On October 11, 2015, University of Central Arkansas athletes partnered with Samaritan's Feet to distribute over 300 pairs of shoes to children in need in Conway, Arkansas. [12] On October 18, 2015, Samaritan's Feet partnered with four athletic teams from the University of Mary to serve over 400 children in Bismarck, North Dakota with new shoes and socks. [13]

In 2017, the Foundation of the Carolinas awarded Samaritan's Feet with a $20,000 grant. Students at Sherwood Park Elementary School (all 425 students), J.W. Coon Elementary School and Mary McArthur Elementary School received new shoes. [14]

Back to School

Each year during the months of July through September, Samaritan's Feet focuses their domestic operations on preparing school-aged children for school by providing new shoes and socks for the upcoming academic year. In 2013, Samaritan's Feet provided almost 24,000 children with new footwear, [15] as well as inspiration and encouragement for their upcoming studies. [16] This number increased to nearly 34,000 during the 2014 campaign. [17] On August 9, 2015, Samaritan's Feet distributed over 200 pairs of shoes to children in Columbia, South Carolina as a part of their 2015 "Back to School" campaign. [2]

International Mission Trips

In 2013, Samaritan's Feet was responsible for distributing over 1,031,000 pairs of shoes and socks worldwide, including 106,864 in Burundi, 27,016 in the Dominican Republic, 26,316 in El Salvador, 26,316 in Ethiopia, 26,344 in Guatemala, 52,932 in Guyana, 33,085 in Haiti, 106,885 in Honduras, 26,466 in Jamaica, 26,316 in Jordan, 26,316 in Liberia, 26,316 in Mozambique, 27,481 in Nicaragua, 34,685 in the Philippines, 105,689 in South Africa, 26,316 in Tanzania, 79,055 in Uganda and 26,466 in Zimbabwe. [18]

During the 2009 edition of Taylor University's Silent Night, students donated over 400 pairs of shoes that were later distributed by Taylor students working with Samaritan's Feet in five communities in the Dominican Republic during their 2010 spring break. [19]

Partners

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Carolina Panthers</span> National Football League franchise in Charlotte, North Carolina

The Carolina Panthers are a professional American football team based in Charlotte, North Carolina. The Panthers compete in the National Football League (NFL), as a member club of the league's National Football Conference (NFC) South division. The team is headquartered in Bank of America Stadium in Uptown Charlotte; which also serves as the team's home field. The Panthers are supported throughout the Carolinas; although the team has played its home games in Charlotte since 1996, it played its home games at Memorial Stadium in Clemson, South Carolina during its first season in 1995.

Charlotte Smith is a retired American professional women's basketball player for the Charlotte Sting, Washington Mystics and Indiana Fever in the WNBA, and for the Colorado Xplosion and San Jose Lasers in the ABL. She is currently the women's basketball head coach at Elon University.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Dawn Staley</span> American basketball player and coach (born 1970)

Dawn Michelle Staley is an American basketball Hall of Fame player and coach who is currently the head coach for the South Carolina Gamecocks. Staley won three Olympic gold medals with Team USA as a player and later was head coach of another U.S. gold-medal winning team. Staley was elected to carry the United States flag at the opening ceremony of the 2004 Summer Olympics. After playing point guard for the University of Virginia under Debbie Ryan, and winning the gold medal at the 1996 Summer Olympics, she went on to play professionally in the American Basketball League and the WNBA. In 2011, fans named Staley one of the Top 15 players in WNBA history. Staley was inducted into the Women's Basketball Hall of Fame in 2012. She was elected to the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame in 2013.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">High Point University</span> Private university in High Point, North Carolina, US

High Point University (HPU) is a private university in High Point, North Carolina. It is affiliated with the United Methodist Church. The university was founded as High Point College in 1924, and it became High Point University in October 1991. HPU offers 63 undergraduate majors, 65 undergraduate minors, and 18 graduate majors. U.S. News & World Report ranks HPU #1 in Regional Colleges South.

Matthew Francis Doherty is an American former college basketball coach best known for his time as head coach of the University of North Carolina Tar Heels men's basketball team. Prior to accepting the head coaching position at UNC he spent one season as head coach of the University of Notre Dame Fighting Irish men's basketball program.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Katie Meier</span> American basketball player-coach (born 1967)

Katie Meier is head coach of the women's basketball team at the University of Miami in Coral Gables, Florida. She is a 1990 graduate of Duke University, where she played college basketball.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">NC State Wolfpack</span> Intercollegiate sports teams of North Carolina State University

The NC State Wolfpack is the nickname of the athletic teams representing North Carolina State University. The Wolfpack competes at the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) Division I as a member of the Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC) for all sports since the 1953–54 season. The athletic teams of the Wolfpack compete in 22 intercollegiate varsity sports. NC State is a founding member of the ACC and has won eleven national championships: five NCAA championships, two AIAW championships, and four titles under other sanctioning bodies. Most NC State fans and athletes recognize the rivalry with the North Carolina Tar Heels as their biggest.

Athletes and sports teams from North Carolina compete across an array of professional and amateur levels of competition, along with athletes who compete at the World and Olympic levels in their respective sport. Major league professional teams based in North Carolina include teams that compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA), National Football League (NFL), National Hockey League (NHL), Major League Soccer (MLS), and National Women's Soccer League (NWSL). The state is also home to NASCAR Cup Series races. At the collegiate and university level, there are several North Carolina schools in various conferences across an array of divisions. North Carolina also has many minor league baseball teams. There are also a number of indoor football, indoor soccer, minor league basketball, and minor league ice hockey teams based throughout the state.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ron Hunter</span> American basketball coach

Ronald Eugene Hunter is an American college basketball coach and the current men's basketball head coach of the Tulane University Green Wave. His son, R. J. Hunter, was a first-round draft pick for the Boston Celtics.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Scott Nagy</span> American basketball coach

Scott Michael Nagy is an American college basketball coach and the current head coach for Wright State Raiders men's basketball. He had previously served as head coach at South Dakota State for 21 seasons (1995–2016).

The Charlotte 49ers are the intercollegiate athletics teams that represent the University of North Carolina at Charlotte in Charlotte, North Carolina. The 49ers compete at the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) Division I level as a member of the American.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">East Mecklenburg High School</span> Public school in Charlotte, North Carolina, United States

East Mecklenburg High School is a public secondary school in Charlotte, North Carolina, United States, and one of 21 high schools in the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools system. The principal of the school is Richard "Rick" Parker. East Mecklenburg High School is partial magnet school in Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools. It is part of the International Baccalaureate program. East Mecklenburg students come from many middle school areas such as Albemarle Road, Carmel, Queens Grant, Crestdale, Eastway, J.T. Williams, McClintock, Mint Hill, Randolph, Northeast, and Northridge.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Western Carolina Catamounts</span> Athletic teams of Western Carolina University

The Western Carolina Catamounts are the intercollegiate athletics teams that represent Western Carolina University. The Catamounts compete in the NCAA Division I as members of the Southern Conference. Western Carolina fields 16 varsity sports teams. The men's and women's teams are called the Catamounts.

The NCAA Men's Basketball All-American teams are teams made up of National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) basketball players voted the best in the country by a variety of organizations.

Deborah Ann Yow is an American college sports administrator and former college basketball coach. She was the director of athletics at North Carolina State University, and held the same position at the University of Maryland and Saint Louis University. She previously served as the head coach of the women's basketball teams of the University of Kentucky, Oral Roberts University, and the University of Florida.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Damien Horne</span> American singer-songwriter

Damien Horne, also known as Mista D is an American recording artist, musician and songwriter.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">North Carolina A&T Aggies</span> Intercollegiate sports teams of North Carolina A&T State University

The North Carolina A&T Aggies are the athletic teams that represent North Carolina Agricultural and Technical State University in Greensboro, North Carolina, United States. The Aggies compete in NCAA Division I and are members of the Coastal Athletic Association (CAA) in all sports with the exception of football and women's bowling. North Carolina A&T fields varsity teams in 13 sports, five for men and eight for women. The football team competes in Division I Football Championship Subdivision (FCS), formerly known as Division I-AA, in the CAA's technically separate football arm of CAA Football.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ryan Odom</span> American basketball player and coach (born 1974)

Robert Ryan Odom is an American men's college basketball coach who is currently the head coach of the VCU Rams men's basketball team. He was previously the head coach of the Lenoir–Rhyne Bears, the UMBC Retrievers, and the Utah State Aggies.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">High Point Panthers women's basketball</span>

The High Point Panthers women's basketball team is the basketball team that represents High Point University in High Point, North Carolina, United States. The school's team currently competes in the Big South Conference. The Panthers are led by head coach Chelsea Banbury, her second season.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2017–18 Charlotte 49ers men's basketball team</span> American college basketball season

The 2017–18 Charlotte 49ers men's basketball team represented the University of North Carolina at Charlotte during the 2017–18 NCAA Division I men's basketball season. The 49ers, led by interim head coach Houston Fancher, played their home games at the Dale F. Halton Arena as members Conference USA. They finished the season 6–23, 2–16 in C-USA play to finish in last place. They failed to qualify for the C-USA tournament.

References

  1. "Samaritan's Feet plans Lafayette meeting". The Advertiser. Retrieved 2015-10-14.
  2. 1 2 "Columbia church, Samaritan's Feet give kids 'launching pad' for successful school year". ColaDaily.com. Retrieved 2015-10-21.
  3. "Emmanuel "Manny" Ohonme" (PDF). Charlotte Business Resources. Retrieved 2015-10-07.
  4. 1 2 3 "Kyle Whelliston: Coaches lose their shoes a year later for a good cause". ESPN.com. 15 January 2009. Retrieved 2015-10-07.
  5. "Samaritans Feet – Manny's Story". www.samaritansfeet.org. Retrieved 2015-10-07.
  6. 1 2 "Charity Navigator Rating - Samaritan's Feet". Charity Navigator. Retrieved 2015-10-14.
  7. "Samaritans Feet – Shoes of Hope". www.samaritansfeet.org. Retrieved 2015-11-11.
  8. "2013 Shoes of Hope Events" (PDF). Samaritan's Feet. April 2015. Retrieved 2 November 2015.
  9. "2014 Shoes of Hope Events" (PDF). Samaritan's Feet. April 2015. Retrieved 2 November 2015.
  10. "The Bruins' Third Annual Shoe Distribution was a Huge Success". uclabruins.com. Retrieved 2015-10-21.
  11. "Indiana credit unions and Samaritan's Feet distribute 1,000+ pairs of shoes statewide - CUInsight". CUInsight. Retrieved 2015-10-21.
  12. "UCA student athletes donate shoes to 300 Conway children". THV11.com. Retrieved 2015-10-21.
  13. 1 2 "University of Mary Student Athletes Volunteer for Samaritan's Feet". www.kfyrtv.com. Retrieved 2015-10-21.
  14. Dolasinski, Amanda. "Nonprofit provides 1,000 pairs of shoes for Cumberland kids". The Fayetteville Observer. Retrieved 2017-05-12.
  15. "2013 Back to School Events" (PDF). Samaritan's Feet. April 2015. Retrieved 2 November 2015.
  16. "Samaritans Feet – Back to School". www.samaritansfeet.org. Retrieved 2015-11-11.
  17. "2014 Back to School Events" (PDF). Samaritan's Feet. March 2015. Retrieved 2 November 2015.
  18. "2013 International Shoes of Hope" (PDF). March 2015. Retrieved 2 November 2015.
  19. "Taylor University - Silent Night Includes Barefoot Event". athletics.taylor.edu. Retrieved 2015-10-21.
  20. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 "Samaritans Feet – Board of Advisors / Ambassadors". www.samaritansfeet.org. Retrieved 2015-10-21.
  21. "UCLA Women's Basketball | Samaritans Feet". uclabruins.com. Retrieved 2015-10-14.
  22. "CoSIDA Partners with Samaritan's Feet for Community Service Project at Coalition for the Homeless in Orlando". CoSIDA Conference. Retrieved 2015-10-14.
  23. "Duke Participates in Samaritan's Feet Initiative". goduke.com. Retrieved 2015-10-14.
  24. ""Barefoot for Bare Feet" Game Set for Jan. 12 - Georgia State Athletics". www.georgiastatesports.com. Retrieved 2015-10-14.
  25. "Women's Hoops Raises $600 for Samaritan's Feet". Keuka College. 2015-02-19. Retrieved 2015-10-14.
  26. "MKG Donates to Samaritan's Feet". Charlotte Hornets. Retrieved 2015-10-14.
  27. "Women's Basketball Provides Hope, Gets Inspired with Samaritan's Feet - Northern Arizona". www.nauathletics.com. Retrieved 2015-10-14.
  28. "Women's Basketball Serves with Samaritan's Feet". Queens University of Charlotte. Retrieved 2015-10-14.
  29. "Richman to Coach Barefoot for Samaritan's Feet Thursday Night". GoBison.com. Retrieved 2015-10-14.
  30. "Steve Smith Samaritan's Feet" (PDF). Carolina Panthers. Retrieved 2015-10-14.