Assemblyman Will Barclay (R,C,I-Pulaski) recently announced that his office is again assisting in the collection of gently-used shoes and boots now through December 15. Barclay said that in years past the shoe drives have resulted in thousands of pairs of shoes and boots being donated to organizations, including the Rescue Mission at 57 E. Bridge St. in Oswego. This year, the shoes collected from Oswego County residents will help families in Oswego County once again. Barclay welcomed families in the community to embrace the spirit and season of generosity and drop off any new or gently-used shoes or boots at his district office or any of the authorized locations listed below. Millard “Mudd” Murphy, former mayor of Central Square and executive director of the Oswego County Conferences of Mayors, started the drive locally and has coined it “Tithe My Shoes.”

“Americans are known for their generosity, and this is the time of year where that holiday spirit of kindness really shines through for children and families in need,” said Barclay. “This is a tremendous campaign and I’m pleased to see so many people engaged and wanting to help out other families in their community. Many have answered the call in the past and we hope the generosity and excitement continue through this year’s donation drive.”

According to the National Philanthropic Trust foundation, Americans gave $375.25 billion in 2015 to charities – a 4.1 percent increase from 2014. While businesses, corporations and foundations are responsible for much of these donated dollars, the largest source of charitable donations came from individuals.

Other drop-off locations are as follows:

• Mallory Wesleyan Church at 5 Baum Rd in Mallory
• Caughdenoy United Methodist Church at the corner of County Route 12 and 37 in Caughdenoy
• Victory Bible Church at the corner of Route 11 and Hungry Lane in Central Square
• Assemblyman Barclay’s office at 200 N. Second St., Fulton (Second floor, above the Department of Motor Vehicle Office)
• Village of Central Square Municipal Offices 3125 East Ave, Central Square

If you have any questions or comments, please contact Barclay at 200 North 2nd Street, Fulton, New York 13069, by e-mail at barclaw@assembly.state.ny.us, or by calling (315) 598-5185.