In collaboration with Be The Star You Are!, 5A Rent-A-Space and -Mark Hoogs State Farm Insurance, with teen chairperson Ella Kalpakjian and other volunteers, Be the Star You Are!® charity is launching its first shoe drive.  

The shoes we collect are shipped to micro-entrepreneurs, mostly women, in developing countries. These shoes are then sold by these small business owners in communities in need of proper footwear, at an inexpensive price. Additionally, micro-entrepreneurs create a path out of poverty for themselves and others in countries where they are limited. In many cases, the difference between being able to get a job and feed your family or have no work opportunity is a pair of shoes.