ARGONN launches shoe drive fundraiser to raise money for spaying and neutering cats

The Fernley Reporter

Animal Rescue Group of Northern Nevada, aka ARGONN, is conducting a shoe drive fundraiser through Nov. 15 to raise funds for their feline TNR (trap, neuter, return) and foster-to-adoption spay/neuter program. ARGONN will earn funds based on the total weight of the pairs of gently worn, used and new shoes collected, as Funds2Orgs will issue a check for the collected shoes. Those dollars will directly benefit our community cats, both feral and domestic. Anyone can help by donating gently worn, used and new shoes at Mirage Garden and Gifts, Animal Care Center or Royal Floors in Fernley.

All donated shoes will then be redistributed throughout the Funds2Orgs network of micro-enterprise (small business) partners. Funds2Orgs works with micro-entrepreneurs in helping them create, maintain and grow small businesses in developing countries where economic opportunity and jobs are limited. Proceeds from the sales of the shoes collected in shoe drive fundraisers are used to feed, clothe and house their families. One budding entrepreneur in Haiti even earned enough to send her son to law school.

“We are excited about our shoe drive,” ARGONN president Vanessa Stuart said. “We know that most people have extra shoes in their closets they would like to donate to us. By doing so, we raise money for our TNR and foster-to-adoption spay/neuter programs, and we have the chance to help families in developing nations who need economic opportunities. It’s a win-win for everyone.”

By donating gently worn, used and new shoes to ARGONN, the shoes will be given a second chance and make a difference in people’s lives around the world.

ARGONN has a great track record of helping local communities control their feral cat populations through their aggressive trap-neuter-return program and has also placed hundreds of fostered kittens and cats into permanent loving homes. As a non-profit 501(c)(3) organization, none of this achievement would be possible without urgent and ongoing donations to pay the veterinary bills associated with spay/neuter and other medical expenses. Fund raising is critical, and the success of this shoe drive will add much needed dollars.