Apparel charity Dignity U Wear, based in Jacksonville, FL has become a part of Nashville, TN based non-profit Soles4Souls. With a similar mission Soles4Souls has acquired all of Dignity U Wear’s current clothing inventory and assets.
Dignity U Wear has grown beyond the resources of a small agency. The organization has seen a tremendous increase in need across the entire country as well as the cost of logistics and transport. Soles4Souls has a global infrastructure for product collection, warehousing and distribution which will expand on the Dignity U Wear mission, benefiting those in need domestically and internationally by providing much needed clothing.
“By joining forces, Soles4Souls will be able to leverage the Dignity U Wear apparel inventory to help hundreds of thousands around the world,” said Buddy Teaster, Soles4Souls President and CEO. “At the same time, the Dignity U Wear network will allow Soles4Souls to significantly expand its domestic distribution of free clothes. We are excited about these new avenues to serve those in need and increase our impact.”
For 17 years, Dignity U Wear has been providing free new clothing to those in need. With humble beginnings – providing underwear and socks to the homeless – to serving thousands of recipients with donated, new clothing to restart their lives. Dignity U Wear’s distribution network has helped 1.3 million individuals.
Since its founding in 2006, Soles4Souls has grown to provide short-term relief, bridging economic gaps for families, through direct assistance programs providing new shoes and clothing to millions of people annually through more than 1,000 charitable partner organizations in the US and around the world.
Soles4Souls also creates long-term solutions to global poverty through a micro-enterprise model which provides entrepreneurs in developing nations the ability to start small businesses by providing a steady supply of high-quality, low-cost product: a powerful and sustainable way for people to lift themselves and their families out of poverty. Soles4Souls’ continues to act as second wave responders providing footwear and clothing to those in need during times of disaster.
Soles4Souls’ micro-enterprise operations are focused in sub-Saharan Africa, Moldova, Haiti, and Honduras with plans underway to expand to additional regions of the world with extreme poverty. Services provide the distribution of more than 2.5 million pairs of shoes and 1 million pounds of clothing annually.
About Soles4Souls
Soles4Souls disrupts the cycle of poverty by creating sustainable jobs and providing relief through the distribution of shoes and clothing around the world. Headquartered in Nashville, Tennessee, the organization repurposes product to supply its micro-enterprise, disaster relief and direct assistance programs. Since 2006, it has distributed more than 30 million pairs of shoes in 127 countries. A nonprofit social enterprise, Soles4Souls earns more than half of its income and commits 100% of donations to programs. Visit soles4souls.org for more information.
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A photo accompanying this announcement is available at http://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/6527a890-4a3b-4e6c-aa2c-6cb7df82e39e
Attachments:
A photo accompanying this announcement is available at http://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/628756eb-2c94-44e9-b075-17d52b8d7c1a