By Conor  ‘17
“Whoever oppresses a poor man insults his Maker, but he who is generous to the needy honors him.” Proverbs 14:31 In a community like we have at St. Joe’s, it’s easy to take our shoes for granted. Often we look past the things we call necessities, but we don’t realize how many people really don’t have them. We have all been blessed with the opportunity to own a pair of shoes, but not everyone has been so privileged. Ms. Sullivan, SJR’s Technology Specialist, along with the members of the Chess Club, have started a sneaker drive to help benefit those who do not enjoy the luxuries that we do.
SJR is doing the collection through a social enterprise program called Funds2Org. They will also be working with a charity called, Free the Kids, which is a charity that helps orphaned children in Haiti. When it first started there were nine boys that they cared for. Now there are nearly 350 children. Hurricane Matthew devastated their community of Les Cayes.
The goal for the SJR collection is 1,857 pounds of new or gently used sneakers. This goal was given to us by the organization, and if we are able to achieve the goal, a donation will be made to the school that for every pound we will receive 70 cents. The sneakers will be distributed to small businesses in developing countries, where these shoes will be offered for sale at small sums.  The fact that people pay for the shoes rather than receive them for free, helps gain self-dignity. The
funds generated from the drive will be used to buy two new chess tables for the club, and the rest will go directly to Haiti.
When asked where she got the motivation to start the drive, Ms. Sullivan said, “I have worked with Father Mark (leader of Free the Kids) and Project Hope for many
years. It is a great program, and I believe the goal will be achieved.  There are 500 students in the school. If everyone were to gather three pairs, we would easily meet our goal. I’m just asking that people spread the word.”
Each member of the Chess Club has been given their own special  job on the project. Some do quality control, while others distribute the shoes into 167 bags of 15 pairs of shoes. They are working together to achieve a common goal and build community.
The drive is just another part of the Xaverian education system. The Xaverian Brothers stressed the importance of creating the “well-rounded” student during their time at SJR. These traditions have not changed as “giving back” is something that the Green Knights take pride in. St. Joe’s has proven time after time that service is not something to be embarrassed by. The fact that St. Joe’s creates so many opportunities for outreach is the reason why it is so accepted.  
Everyone wants to help out for good causes, which is what makes this school such a special place.  “It’s important to give back,” said Casey Hill ’17, who is the
president of the Chess Club. “We are fulfilling our duties as the Vir Fidelis and having a good time in the process. It’s a win-win. I think that we are helping out for a good cause and receiving much needed chess supplies in return.”  
For those interested in helping out with the efforts, the drive will continue until December 15th. There is a designated area in by the main entrance where the new or gently used shoes should be placed. If you do not have any sneakers that you can donate, please spread the word to families and friends so that we can complete our goal.