For 13-year-old McClain Hermes , the inspiration to impact her world began in 2009 , after her father showed her a magazine article about a shoe recycling program . `` We decided ( that instead of ) recycling them , we would collect them and give them to people that needed them , '' she says . And with that , Shoes for the Souls was born and delivered 365 pairs of shoes that first year . In the five years since , the Georgia teen and her father , Matt Hermes , have collected about 10,000 pairs of shoes for an Atlanta homeless shelter . But what 's especially impressive about this middle school student is she does this despite the daily struggles life brings her . About the time she began collecting shoes , she developed vision problems that ended up with one of her retinas detached and her vision extremely limited in the other . She 's now legally blind , and doctors say she will be completely without sight in the next two to five years . Outside the comfort of her home , she oftentimes will need to use a cane . Her family has taken several vacations to scenic destinations such as the Grand Canyon , wanting McClain to be able to experience breathtaking views while she still has a little vision left . But her disability has n't stopped her from becoming a young dynamo . Besides Shoes for the Souls , McClain is a competitive swimmer with dreams of making the 2016 Paralympic Games in Rio de Janeiro . She wears special goggles and a special cane is used by another person so she knows when she 's approaching the wall . Her shoe initiative has made her an inspiration for those much older as well . An employee off McClain 's father , Ingle Chadwick-Ard , first came in contact with the Hermes family after one of her daughters was in the same Sunday school class as McClain . She does n't mince words about her potential , saying this with a hearty laugh : `` She 's going to take over the world , that kid . '' But she still enjoys having fun and has found ways to work in some hijinks with her father on their project . `` The second year , my dad made an agreement with me that if we collected 1,000 pairs of shoes , which he thought was completely out of the ballpark , that I could shave his head , so 1,598 shoes later , he had a shaved head ! '' But deep down , it 's a very serious way to help those in crisis . And the residents at the Atlanta Mission , where McClain donates the shoes , are extremely grateful for what she does . Dennis Williams ended up at the shelter after struggling with substance abuse . Everything he wears was donated . `` Her example is an awesome example of being selfless , '' he says . McClain enjoys the appreciation she receives from the shelter residents : `` The men , a lot of them come up and give me hugs and say thank you after we 're done . '' Her childhood has been different from than most of her peers , but she refuses to let it be an excuse . She challenges others to go out and be of service to others . `` If you have a dream and you think it 's unrealistic , just keep on doing it because you 'll get there . ''
Shoes for the Souls , 2009 , is legally blind but still collects 10,000 of shoes for less fortunate . McClain thought footwear would be better off donated than recycled . Shoes for the Souls began in 13 and has collected around thousands pairs . Her family says she is selfless and very rarely dwells on her handicap .