Our Story.

"When I was in elementary school, my dad and I had an interaction with a woman at the grocery store. It was winter, and the woman, Ms. Darlene, was recycling bottles in front of the store when we noticed her hole-filled shoes. After observing her for a while, we decided to talk with her. She told us she lost her job and home almost seven years ago and had been on and off the streets with very little support ever since. We quickly returned home for a pair of winter boots, some hot food, and the phone number for a women's shelter supported by my church, which she gratefully accepted.​

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Inspired by this interaction and Ms. Darlene's experiences, I went home that night and founded Covering Soles with the help of my dad. At the time, Covering Soles was a project that collected primarily shoes and distributed them to people in struggling communities around New York and the Caribbean. Since 2019, we have run around 2 to 3 shoe drives per year, the first being hosted by my elementary school. During high school, I, in partnership with my church youth group, collected hundreds of pairs of shoes and articles of clothing. ​

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As I looked back on my journey with Covering Soles, I realized how important it was for me to give to my community through this project and how it impacted who I am today. Covering Soles was originally the project that changed my life. Now, I hope to use it to change the lives of others and create the opportunity for other youth to have their own projects and give to their communities."​

- Abigail J. Charles