AFFILIATED INTERNATIONAL MINISTRIES

Clean water, hygiene and sanitation, and nutrition are all things that Americans take for granted.  For people in the developing world, however, these necessities are often lacking.

AIM, through its Shoes & Hope Team, is showing its love for people in the developing world by working with communities to address these challenges.   By building lasting relationships in these communities and supporting community-initiated, sustainable development work, we are able to teach and encourage them to use their gifts, resources and abilities to contribute to their own progress.

In order to fund these activities, we use another resource which is in abundant supply in the United States: used shoes.  On a yearly basis, Americans purchase approximately 2.5 billion pairs of shoes.  Although a pair of shoes is not discarded for every new pair of shoes purchased, if only one pair of shoes is discarded for every 10 pairs of shoes purchased that meanings that Americans are discarding over 250 million pairs of shoes each year.  What we do is collect these used shoes and sell them to an exporter for re-sale in the developing world.   We are then able to use that money for our programs and impact.

More importantly, we have no paid staff and only use volunteers.  We also have very little overhead and operate with mostly donated resources! As a result, these funds go directly into the projects and communities we support.

Although our Shoes & Hope Team has only been in existence for a few months, they are already having great impact in the developing world.  Through their efforts, we have accomplished a great deal in a short time:

• We are currently fundraising to complete a water project in El Maguey, Guatemala.

• We are currently fundraising to complete phase 1 of a water project in Chaguiton, Guatemala with two other partners.

• We have collected over 500 pair of brand new flip flops!  These will be distributed to our friends in the villages of San Lucas, Corazon Creek, Otaxha and Blue Creek in the Toledo District in Southern Belize.  We will be delivering them in January 2016. 

• In July 2015, we were able to construct a pilot latrine project in the mountain village of Quebrada de Agua, Guatemala.  We have received approval to move forward on latrines at each home.  Please look for our SPONSOR A LATRINE program.

• In July 2015, we completed a 3-phase water project in Quebrada de Agua, Guatemala.  We dedicated the project on July 23rd, 2015.  Total project cost $16,404.  Please watch for project report soon!   

• In June 2015, we assisted teachers in Quebrada de Agua in building a small keyhole garden at the elementary school.  In July 2015, we were able to follow up on this project and it is flourishing.  Over the next several months, we will be working towards a garden for each family as well as a community garden.    

• We also want to make a difference in our own communities here in the St. Louis Metropolitan Area.  We are currently discussing partnership opportunities with several local non-profit organizations.

Just click the box below to learn more about how you, your church, your school, or your organization can become a part of AIM's Shoes & Hope Team and become a part of their efforts to assist local communities in meeting their most basic needs.