Building Our Foundation

Soles of Hope was grown from a desire to help those in distress, as mentioned in James 1:27.

Our founder, Dr. Opokua Osei-Yeboah’s motto is “Everyone has a need.” For some people, a pair of shoes is just a pair of shoes. For many, this is a step toward a better life.

In poverty, sometimes dinner is a mud pie, and a new pair of shoes is what you cobble with cardboard to add comfort and longevity. Opokua’s husband, Fred has tasted this bitter reality and have been blessed to become a skilled professional in the United States.

Fred discusses how they began their philanthropic journey:

“Many years ago, my wife Opokua woke me in the middle of the night and said, ‘We have too much. We have to do more.’ We prayed for a plan and decided: We will feed 1,000 people on Christmas every year. On the 24th of December, we cooked as much as we could and helped feed the homeless in Chicago on Christmas Day!”

A few years later, the couple took their four sons to visit their homeland of Ghana. While they enjoyed the country’s beautiful sights, they also showed them the slums and shanty towns. The boys were in shock. They saw Ghanaian children on their way to school – only half of them wearing shoes, and those with shoes had holes in them. This sight had also reminded Fred of his youth, and inspired what would come to be Soles of Hope. Together, the family reached out to employers, churches, and the greater community for all the shoes, school supplies, and clothes they would be willing to donate.

To this day, personnel from Soles of Hope will personally deliver any donated items to a child in need.

Menu