Commissioner Joseph P. Scarpelli Announces Sneaker Collection Program – November 1st through November 15th

Nutley, NJ – Commissioner Joseph P. Scarpelli and the Department of Public Works announced today that they will collaborate with the Nutley Board of Education to collect gently-used sneakers, during this marathon training season, in the elementary schools from November 1st through November 15th. Shoes collected will benefit the Perpetual Prosperity Pumps Foundation.

Prosperity Pumps Foundation, an organization dedicated to eradicating poverty, will collect and ship the shoes to Ghana, West Africa. The funds raised by the organization will be used to purchase “kits” for rural farm families. The kits include: one bicycle, one pregnant rabbit & hutch, 50 assorted fruit trees, three hens and a rooster, 100 lucaena trees, one colonized bee hive, 50 inoculated starter bags of mushrooms, access to local water, complete miracle pump system, integrated M.O.R.E. system (modular organic regenerative environments) and one year of training in regenerative farming. A kit is equal to 600 pairs of sneakers.

“We are constantly looking for ways to reduce, reuse and recycle, and this program is perfect for the popular fall marathon training season. There are so many runners in our community who have worn shoes and don’t want to discard them in the trash,” commented Commissioner Joseph P. Scarpelli.

“This is a “reuse” program that will support underprivileged families in third world countries in ways that we could never dream possible,” stated Commissioner Joseph P. Scarpelli. “We can feel good about empowering a family to lift themselves out of poverty, while practicing eco-responsible behavior,” the Commissioner continued. Commissioner Scarpelli went on to explain that most shoes, depending on the material they are made from, can take anywhere from 50 years (leather) to 1,000 years (plastic) to break down, leaving our landfills over flowing with items that could possibly be reused.

Students are asked to bring in gently-used athletic shoes (cleats will also be accepted), with the laces tied, between the dates of November 1st and November 15th. All sizes will be accepted, although size 7 and larger are most needed. Elementary schools will be supplied with shoe collection bins which will be displayed outside of each main office.

If you have any questions about this program or any of the services or programs that are offered by the Department of Public Works, please contact Commissioner Joseph P. Scarpelli at 973-284-4959, or visit www.nutleynj.org