Proceeds will go to our event partner, People Serving People.

]]> http://www.operationwarmfeet.com/events/391/feed/ 0 http://www.operationwarmfeet.com/news/local-companies-launch-operation-warm-feet/ http://www.operationwarmfeet.com/news/local-companies-launch-operation-warm-feet/#comments Wed, 20 Jan 2010 16:00:17 +0000 amanda http://www.operationwarmfeet.com/?p=345 January 20, 2010

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

LOCAL COMPANIES LAUNCH OPERATION WARM FEET

Minneapolis—January 20, 2010—AOI Marketing and Rovrr partnered to create Operation Warm Feet, an online program that makes it easy to donate socks to homeless shelters.

AOI and Rovrr discovered through directors of local shelters that there is a shortage of socks for the homeless.

“With in-kind donations, it is easy for people to overlook and take for granted basic needs like socks,” stated Clara Braddock, Salvation Army Harbor Lights Center in Minneapolis.  She continued, “New, clean socks are highly valued by our clients and we just don’t always have enough for everyone.”

Operation Warm Feet is one of the first programs of its kind to connect socks and other in-kind donations directly to shelters in a fully customized online environment.

“We wanted to simplify the in-kind donation process and make it easier for donors to respond to urgent needs of local charities,” said Jennifer Katz, CEO of AOI Marketing.  She continued, “Now, with a few clicks through the Operation Warm Feet website, anyone can donate and feel confident that the socks and other items they send will be delivered directly to the shelter of their choice.”

At launch, Operation Warm Feet has the support of fifteen homeless shelters.  Most supporting shelters are based in Minnesota.  Donors simply select the shelter of their choice and purchase socks.

“Because nearly sixty percent of our guests are children, we always have a need for the basics like socks and diapers.  As an Operation Warm Feet partner, it’ll be easier for us to fulfill these needs and allocate more resources to families who need help,” said Amy Jenkins, Director of Development at People Serving People in Minneapolis.

Donate with just a few clicks at www.OperationWarmFeet.com and become a fan on Facebook.

ABOUT ROVRR

Rovrr, Inc. is based in Minneapolis, Minnesota and helps brands, large and small, succeed in an online social marketing environment.  Rovrr focuses on taking fans of a brand and converting them in to brand advocates while providing marketing analytics and insight that are unavailable using any other method.  Rovrr has developed several patent-pending technologies in order to help its clients succeed.

ABOUT AOI MARKETING

AOI, based in Minneapolis, Minnesota offers advanced marketing solutions and proven methodologies in designing and delivering successful loyalty and benefit programs with high customer retention for the travel and financial industries.  Through a partnership with Rovrr, a premier provider of social media applications, customized applications and analytics, AOI now has extensive capabilities to reach opinion leaders in their communities to promote deep peer interactions.

Contact Information:

Amanda Axvig

612.372.7002

aaxvig@aoimarketing.com

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How many people are homeless?  How many can you help by providing the comfort of warm, dry feet?  Information from the National Coalition for the Homeless helps give us an idea of the number of individuals that experience homelessness.

“In a recent approximation USA Today estimated 1.6 million people unduplicated persons used transitional housing or emergency shelters.  Of these people, approximately 1/3 are members of households with children, a nine percent increase since 2007.  Another approximation is from a study done by the National Law Center on Homelessness and Poverty which states that approximately 3.5 million people, 1.35 million of them children, are likely to experience homelessness in a given year (National Law Center on Homelessness and Poverty, 2007).”

via National Coalition for the Homeless

via MLB.com and Boston Health Care for the Homeless Program (BHBHP)

“The number of homeless families with children has increased significantly over the past decade.  Families with children are among the fastest growing segments of the homeless population. In its 2007 survey of 23 American cities, the U.S. Conference of Mayors found that families with children comprised 23% of the homeless population (U.S. Conference of Mayors, 2007). These proportions are likely to be higher in rural areas.  Research indicates that families, single mothers, and children make up the largest group of people who are homeless in rural areas (Vissing, 1996). All 21 cities with available data cited an increase in the number of persons requesting food assistance for the first-time. The increase was particularly notable among working families. (U.S. conference of mayors 2008)

As the number of families experiencing homelessness rises and the number of affordable housing units shrinks, families are subject to much longer stays in the shelter system. For instance, in the mid-1990s in New York, families stayed in a shelter an average of five months before moving on to permanent housing. Today, the average stay is 5.7 months, and some surveys say the average is closer to a year (U. S. Conference of Mayors, 2007 and Santos, 2002).”

via National Coalition for the Homeless

To begin, select a shelter.   From there, you will be presented with a sample shopping list.  Feel free to add the suggested items to your cart or add your own selection.  When you check out, Amazon.com will collect payment and the address of the shelter will already be filled in as the shipping address.  That’s it!

In order to maintain our website and spread the word about Operation Warm Feet, we receive a small commission from purchases made through our organization.  We are only successful if those in need are receiving socks.