Clarke Central High School junior Noah Kilpatrick stands in front of piles of shoes in Fleet Feet Athens on Jan. 20. Kilpatrick created The Shoebox Project to give people a way to donate their shoes to those who need them. “I’m really excited about this project. I’ve put a lot of work into it over the past year. (On) Monday, I collected over 300 shoes, so I’m very excited that it’s actually finally coming together and hopefully we’ll make a difference in the community,” Kilpatrick said. Photo courtesy of Noah Kilpatrick
CCHS junior Noah Kilpatrick’s Shoebox Project allows people to donate shoes to those in need at three different Athens locations.
For his 2025 Eagle Scout project, Clarke Central High School junior Noah Kilpatrick continued his year-old Shoebox Project, a project that works to provide sneakers for those who need them by collecting donations of shoes.
People can drop off their gently-used shoes in boxes at Fleet Feet Athens at 1694 S. Lumpkin St., Salvation Army at 484 Hawthorne Ave. and The Sparrow’s Nest at 745 Prince Ave. Shoes can also be picked up at these locations with the exception of Fleet Feet Athens where donated shoes will be distributed to the Salvation Army and Sparrow’s Nest.
“There’s such a need for something like this in Athens that I am just so impressed by Noah’s ability to find this hole, this gap in resources in our town, and to fill it in this way.”
— Catherine Shinholser,
Fleet Feet Co-Owner
“The shoe boxes are only available to the public during the business’s operating hours, which can be found on The Shoebox Project flyer or the business website and each (business) will have different regulations for how many pairs you can take,” Kilpatrick said, “You donate at boxes, you get them from the (same) boxes. (Drop off and pick up) it’s all at the same locations.”
Kilpatrick first thought of the idea as a way for runners to donate their surplus shoes. Runners must switch out their shoes every three to four months and while donated shoes may not be fit for running, they can still be used to provide shoes for people in need. Through his partnership with sponsors, like Fleet Feet and the Sparrow’s Nest, this project will continue to provide shoes for people as long as shoes are donated.
“A pair of shoes is the most basic thing, it’s just something that everybody should have, regardless of their status or whether they have the money for those shoes right now or not,” Fleet Feet co-owner Catherine Shinholser said. “There’s such a need for something like this in Athens that I am just so impressed by Noah’s ability to find this hole, this gap in resources in our town, and to fill it in this way.”
Three fliers provide details about The Shoebox Project, including where to donate and pick up shoes. When he started this project, Clarke Central High School junior Noah Kilpatrick met with Sparrow’s Nest Executive Director Jamie Scott to set up his project. “I was excited when (Kilpatrick) came with his father. He looked at the disparities in the homeless community and around Athens, and he thought that (The Shoebox Project) would be a great idea,” Scott said, “And one of the most pressing issues that we always hear from our clients (is) needing a comfortable pair (of) sneakers, tennis shoes, because that’s how they travel.” Fliers courtesy of Noah Kilpatrick
The Sparrow’s Nest, a nonprofit organization that focuses on social service and helping those in need, is currently funding this project. The organization has a clothing closet and one of the most important pieces of clothing is comfortable shoes.
“(Shoes are) so important for those who are unhoused, displaced or under the poverty level, because, they don’t have a vehicle to get around from point A to point B. They are on their feet, every day and every night until they’re laying down somewhere,” Sparrow’s Nest Executive Director Jamie Scott said. “And they don’t have the means of purchasing sneakers or having some gently used or new sneakers to get around in.”
