Orlando cobblers refurbish shoes for children in need

COBBLERS MEND OR MAKE SHOES AND OTHER LEATHER GOODS LOOK LIKE NEW AGAIN. WESH SHOES GAIL PASCHALL-BROWN SHOWS US HOW A SHOP IN ORANGE COUNTY IS ALSO PAYING IT FORWARD TO HELP KIDS THIS SEASON. STEP INTO SHOE REPAIR ON COMMERCE DRIVE IN ORLANDO, AND YOU’VE STEPPED BACK IN TIME. LOOK AT THIS OLD CASH REGISTER. IT’S LIKE PLAYING SLOTS AND I WIN EVERY TIME. YEAH, BUT THERE’S NOTHING OLD ABOUT WHAT THESE COBBLERS ARE DOING IN THE COMMUNITY. SUMY SHOE REPAIR IS COLLECTING GENTLY USED CHILDREN’S SHOES, CLEANING THEM UP AND REFURBISHING THEM TO GIVE BACK TO ORPHANAGES AND KIDS WHO ARE LESS FORTUNATE. AIR JORDANS THEY CAME FROM FROM AS FAR AS FROM LAKELAND, DONATED. AND SO NOW I GET TO, YOU KNOW, GET ALL THIS SMUDGE OFF AND CLEAN ALL THAT UP THERE. EVERYTHING’S GLUED, LOCKS IT IN. IT’S ALL, YOU KNOW, HAVE A HEART FOR CHILDREN. AND I CAN ONLY IMAGINE, YOU KNOW, WHEN WE FIRST DAY OF SCHOOL, WE WERE TALKING ABOUT OUR SHOES. OR WHEN WE COME BACK FROM CHRISTMAS VACATION, WE’RE TALKING ABOUT OUR NEW SHOES. WE GOT THROUGH THE COMMUNITIES HELP. KIDS CAN HAVE SHOES. WE CLEANED THAT UP THERE AND TAKE THE FUZZIES OFF. I KNOW WHEN I HAD KIDS, MY KIDS MOST OF THE TIME HAD LIKE BECAUSE THEY WERE MY KIDS, YOU KNOW, SIX PAIRS OF SHOES, BARELY WORE TWO OF THEM. YOU KNOW, WE’RE THEIR FAVORITE FOR THOSE TWO CAN STILL HAVE LIFE TO SOME OTHER CHILD IN NEED. THEY’RE STILL GATHERING AS MANY CHILDREN’S SHOES AS THEY CAN DONATE WHENEVER. HOW MANY? THERE’S THERE’S NO NO DEADLINE. YOU CAN DROP OFF THE SHOES AFTER JANUARY 6TH FROM 11 A.M. TO 6 P.M. AT THEIR LOCATION AT 5603 COMMERCE DRIVE, SUITE ONE A IN ORLANDO. YOU KNOW, WE’LL CLEAN THOSE UP, GET THE BLACK OFF THERE IF SOMETHING NEEDS TO BE SEWN. I DO ALL THE HAND STITCHING HERE. I DON’T USE MACHINES BECAUSE MACHINES YOU GET, YOU PULL THE THREAD AND IT ALL COME OUT. THEY’VE CLEANED AND RESTORED ALL KINDS OF SHOES, INCLUDING ARNOLD PALMER’S, WHICH ARE IN A HALL OF FAME GOLF MUSEUM. IN THE NEAR FUTURE, THEY PLAN TO PAY IT FORWARD FOR VETERANS AND FOR THE HOMELESS. EVENTUALLY, WITH THE VETERANS TOTALLY GOING TO START A SOUL SAVER PROGRAM, THE SOUL MUST GO ON COVERING ORANGE COUN

Sami’s Shoe Repair in Orlando is collecting gently used children’s shoes, refurbishing them, and donating them to orphanages and less fortunate kids.Cobbler Eddie Rodas explained the process, saying, “These are Air Jordans. They came from as far as Lakeland, donated. I get to get all the smudge off, everything’s glued. I have a heart for children, and I can only imagine the first day of school, or when we come back from Christmas vacation, we’re talking about our new shoes we got.”Rodas demonstrated the refurbishment process, showing how they clean and repair the shoes.Owner and cobbler Angelica Porter shared her motivation, saying, “I know when I had kids, my kids most of the time because they were my kids, six pairs of shoes, barely wore two of them … those two can still have life to some other child in need, a person in need, you know.”The shop is actively gathering as many children’s shoes as possible, with no deadline for donations. “Donate whenever, how many, there’s no deadline,” Rodas said. Donations can be dropped off after Jan. 6 from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. at their location at 5603 Commerce Drive, Suite 1A in Orlando.Rodas detailed their meticulous restoration process, saying, “We’ll clean those up, get the black off. If something needs to be sewn, I do all the hand stitching here. I don’t use machines. The machines, you pull the thread, and it all come out.”Sami’s Shoe Repair has restored all kinds of shoes, including those of Arnold Palmer, which are now in a Hall of Fame Golf Museum.Looking ahead, they plan to extend their charitable efforts to veterans and the homeless. “And eventually with the veterans, totally going to start a Sole Savior Program, the soles must go on,” Porter added.

ORLANDO, Fla. —

Sami’s Shoe Repair in Orlando is collecting gently used children’s shoes, refurbishing them, and donating them to orphanages and less fortunate kids.

Cobbler Eddie Rodas explained the process, saying, “These are Air Jordans. They came from as far as Lakeland, donated. I get to get all the smudge off, everything’s glued. I have a heart for children, and I can only imagine the first day of school, or when we come back from Christmas vacation, we’re talking about our new shoes we got.”

Rodas demonstrated the refurbishment process, showing how they clean and repair the shoes.

Owner and cobbler Angelica Porter shared her motivation, saying, “I know when I had kids, my kids most of the time because they were my kids, six pairs of shoes, barely wore two of them … those two can still have life to some other child in need, a person in need, you know.”

The shop is actively gathering as many children’s shoes as possible, with no deadline for donations. “Donate whenever, how many, there’s no deadline,” Rodas said. Donations can be dropped off after Jan. 6 from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. at their location at 5603 Commerce Drive, Suite 1A in Orlando.

Rodas detailed their meticulous restoration process, saying, “We’ll clean those up, get the black off. If something needs to be sewn, I do all the hand stitching here. I don’t use machines. The machines, you pull the thread, and it all come out.”

Sami’s Shoe Repair has restored all kinds of shoes, including those of Arnold Palmer, which are now in a Hall of Fame Golf Museum.

Looking ahead, they plan to extend their charitable efforts to veterans and the homeless. “And eventually with the veterans, totally going to start a Sole Savior Program, the soles must go on,” Porter added.