In five months, High Hill Christian Church plans to send 10 people to a mission trip to Honduras.

So the church is having a shoe drive to help pay for the trip. Gently worn, used or new shoes are donated at the church and at Grow2Gather in New Florence.

“It’s not the first time we’re doing a mission trip,” Family Ministry Director Kellee Gentry said. “We’ve done mission trips for Haiti in the past, but it’s been several years since the church has gone anywhere on a mission trip.”

The shoe drive began on Feb. 1. The first week was successful as the church received about 800 shoes in both locations. Gentry said the church’s goal is to collect 2,500 shoes.

“When we collect all of the shoes, we’ll bag them all up and sort them based on whether these can be worn again or these can’t be worn again,” Gentry said. “The company that we’re working with to fundraise basically pays us a set amount per pound of shoes. We’re trying to get as much poundage as we can.”

Gentry will be among the members of the group that are going to San Pedro Sula, which is located in the northwest part of Honduras. Three teenagers also will be going on the one-week trip, which will start on July 3.

“We have several projects that we’re working on,” Gentry said. “Then, we have one afternoon of free time. There’s some ancient ruin right outside San Pedro Sula, which we are going to. We get to go do some adventuring and check out natural beauty.”

During the trip, the church will be working with Embrace International, which is based out of Honduras and is directed by one of Gentry’s co-workers.

“Most of the kids in Honduras who are in foster care aren’t in foster care because of neglect or being given up,” Gentry said. “They don’t have a bed for them or they don’t have enough bathrooms there. This organization basically works with families to help kids stay in the home instead of going into foster care or going into an orphanage. When we go, we’ll do things like some construction on houses, building bunk beds to help these families to be able to make sure they have enough space in their home for their kids.”

The shoe drive ends on March 30. For more information, contact Gentry at kellee@highhillchristianchurch.org.