The Foundation
Saving Soles Foundation supports formerly incarcerated individuals with resources to reintegrate into society, reducing recidivism and fostering sustainable lives for families.
Empower Lives Today
Join us in breaking the cycle of incarceration and rebuilding lives
Saving Soles is a dedicated nonprofit organization focused on empowering individuals who have been previously incarcerated, as well as their families, to successfully reintegrate into society. We recognize the numerous challenges these individuals face—challenges that are often magnified by systemic issues related to mass incarceration. Currently, nearly 700,000 individuals are released from prison each year in the United States, with about 68% of them being rearrested within three years. Our mission is to provide comprehensive support that fosters their ability to rebuild their lives and become productive members of society…
… Lives Together
We provide essential resources for formerly incarcerated individuals to rebuild their lives sustainably.
Our programs aim to reduce recidivism and support families affected by incarceration.
Join us in making a lasting impact through volunteering, donations, or partnerships.
Our Mission
At Saving Soles, our mission is clear: to empower individuals adversely affected by the US penal system and their families. We provide essential resources—including shoes, clothing, educational support, and necessary equipment—to ensure that our participants have the tools they need to thrive. Our goal is to break the cycle of incarceration and foster healthier communities.
Donation What It Provides
1. Hygiene kit for a homeless veteran – Help Provide a Hygiene Kit for a Homeless Veteran
Your donation helps us deliver essential hygiene kits to homeless veterans in need. Each kit includes soap, toothbrush, toothpaste, socks, and other personal care items—small things that restore dignity and hope. Support a hero today.
2. Backpack & supplies for one child – Give a child the tools they need to succeed. Your donation provides a backpack filled with essential school supplies—like notebooks, pencils, crayons, and more—to help one student start the school year with confidence. Empower learning, one backpack at a time.
3. Hot meals for 10 individuals – Your donation helps serve 10 warm, nutritious meals to people in need. Each meal offers comfort, dignity, and nourishment to those facing hunger. Share the gift of food and hope today.
4. Reentry mentorship & job training for one returning citizen – Help a returning citizen rebuild their life. Your support provides one individual with mentorship, job readiness training, and the guidance needed to successfully reenter society and the workforce. Empower second chances and lasting change.
5. Sponsor a full outreach day (shoes, food, and essentials for 50+ people) – Sponsor a Full Outreach Day
Make a big impact in one day. Your sponsorship provides shoes, hot meals, hygiene items, and other essentials to 50+ people in need. Help us bring relief, dignity, and hope to an entire community through this powerful outreach effort.
Programs and Initiatives
1. Reintegration Support: We offer services that assist individuals in overcoming barriers to reintegration, such as job readiness training and personal development workshops.
2. Education and Training: Our educational programs provide GED preparation, vocational training, and life skills workshops, helping participants gain the knowledge necessary for sustainable employment.
5. Protecting intact Forest: We’ve protected 26 million acres in Latin America, preventing 3.9 billion tons of CO2 emissions. Our success comes from partnering with local and Indigenous communities for over 25 years to protect threatened forests and the biodiverse ecosystems they support.
7. Disabled Veterans National Foundation
To assist disabled and needy veterans, their widows and dependents, with an emphasis on eliminating homelessness. Serving Southern California disabled veterans in need and their families by supporting long-term rehabilitation programs for homeless veterans and other charitable veteran-related projects.
9. Veteran Outreach Program
Description:
Saving Soles is dedicated to uplifting veterans facing homelessness, unemployment, and mental health challenges. We provide hygiene kits, survival supplies, and access to resources like VA benefits navigation and trauma-informed counseling referrals. Seasonal drives deliver shoes, coats, and personal essentials to vets in need — especially those living unsheltered.
Impact Goal: Reach 100+ underserved veterans yearly with essential goods and direct support.
11. Youth Empowerment & Community Enrichment
Description:
This program equips under-resourced children and teens with tools to thrive. We host back-to-school drives, distribute school supplies and sneakers, and provide mentoring workshops that build self-esteem, entrepreneurship, and decision-making skills. Our goal is to create safe spaces and real opportunities for children growing up in tough environments.
Impact Goal: Reach 200+ youth annually through direct services, mentorship events, and supply drives.
3. Resource Distribution: We supply essential items, including food, clothing, and shelter assistance, ensuring that our participants have access to basic needs.
4. Credit and Employment Assistance: We help individuals establish credit and secure employment through resume-building workshops, interview preparation, and connections with local employers.
6. A Future Without Homelessness: We envision a future without homelessness, where all people have equitable access to safe and affordable housing and the support they need to thrive. Through proven solutions and collaborative action, we can make this vision a reality.
8. Reentry & Second Chances Program
This program provides formerly incarcerated individuals with structured reentry support to break the cycle of recidivism. Participants receive job readiness training, mentorship, life skills development, resume writing help, and access to transitional housing referrals. We also partner with local employers, trade programs, and mental health professionals to ensure a holistic path to success.
Impact Goal: Empower 50+ returning citizens annually with sustainable skills, housing leads, and employment placement.
10. Feeding the Homeless Initiative
Our team organizes monthly pop-up food stations and collaborates with shelters to feed unhoused individuals and families in high-need areas. Meals are distributed with dignity, alongside socks, water, and wellness items. Volunteers are trained in compassionate outreach, and surplus donations are redirected to partner food pantries.
Impact Goal: Serve 1,200+ warm meals and 500+ food packs annually in Columbia and surrounding SC areas.
12. Community Giveback & Emergency Relief
Whether it’s distributing shoes to families in crisis or responding to a local disaster, Saving Soles is a boots-on-the-ground responder. We collect and distribute shoes, clothing, hygiene products, and emergency kits throughout the year. We also engage local partners in community cleanups, beautification days, and neighborhood revitalization projects.
Impact Goal: Mobilize 300+ volunteers and distribute 2,000+ items to families in need annually.
Who We Serve
• Returning Citizens
• Veterans
• Unhoused Individuals
• At-Risk Youth
• Families in Need
Our Programs
Program Description
🥾 Reentry & Second Chances Job training, life skills, and transitional support for justice-impacted individuals.
🪖 Veteran Support Outreach, hygiene kits, food drives, and assistance navigating VA resources.
🍱 Feeding the Homeless Monthly drives, partnerships with shelters, and pop-up food stations.
🎒 Youth Empowerment Back-to-school drives, mentorship programs, and safe space events.
❤️ Community Givebacks Shoe drives, clothing donations, and emergency response aid.
Donate
Join us in supporting formerly incarcerated individuals. Your involvement can help break the cycle of incarceration and foster community growth.
Statement of Need
Mass incarceration has profound effects not only on those incarcerated but also on their families and communities. Approximately 2.3 million people are currently incarcerated in the U.S., and millions more are affected by the ripple effects of incarceration. Children of incarcerated parents are “five times more likely to be imprisoned themselves.” By providing targeted support, we aim to address these issues and reduce recidivism rates, which can be as high as 75% within five years for individuals who do not receive assistance.
