Carbon Career and Technical Institute cosmetology students Kim Peri and Kali Weller thought about what it would be like to walk in a poor person's shoes. The empathy led the young women to help collect used shoes for a program that provides footwear to the needy. Shoes that are too badly worn will be used to make surfaces for playgrounds.

Under the guidance of cosmetology teacher Lisa Walck, CCTI students collected more than 100 pairs of shoes, from cowboy boots to high heels. The boxes of shoes were given to Franklin Klock, of the Carbon County Environmental Education Center, which will give them to a program called Reuse Your Shoes. The center will continue to accept the shoes until Feb. 12.Klock pointed out that donating rather than throwing out used shoes means less trash in landfills."I wanted to help people who need shoes, and the environment," said Pera, of Jim Thorpe.Weller, of Palmerton, said "There are some many people, just in our area, who don't have shoes. It's a good way to give back.""People can donate used shoes, no matter what condition," Klock said. "The wearable shoes will be donated to charities for homeless people and people in need. Unwearable shoes, that are just destroyed, will be broken up into pieces and recycled, and used in the construction of sports facilities."The Environmental Education Center has so far collected about 115 pairs of shoes, he said."Lisa (Walck) found out about the program, and thought it would be a great way for CCTI kids and Skills USA group to get involved to do a service project," Klock said.Walck, a Skills USA adviser, also runs marathons and has donated her own used shoes.'We've been collecting shoes throughout the month of January," she said. Klock figures the students collected about 300 pairs of shoes.The program was created by Bucks County resident and businessman Kevin F. Kane, whose wife, Ilene, is a marathon runner. Kane noticed that after a marathon, her running shoes were not good enough to race in again, but would be fine for everyday use."I have transformed one of our company's box trucks into a "RE-USE YOUR SHOES" drop-off vehicle. We appear at dozens of races a year, accepting donation shoes of all types from race participants, families and friends, and have placed over 100 "drop boxes" around Bucks County. As of now I have made arrangements to donate all gently worn shoes to shelters and organizations in need, including the Red Cross for disaster relief, A Women's Place for abused women and families, St. John's Hospice in Philadelphia, and many others. Any shoes deemed beyond "usable" are forwarded to Nike for their shredding program which transforms shoes into playground base material. We are accepting any type of shoe including children's shoes," Kane says on his website.