If you do, Andrew Evans is the person to contact.

Evans, a Sheridan College student in Brampton, is collecting used children's shoes to take with him to Las Tunas, Ecuador.

The aspiring social worker is going to the small, poverty-stricken village for five weeks starting April 26, where he, along with a dozen Sheridan students, will build a school and work with youth.

The local man has taken it upon himself to go one step further to help the children.

"I was cleaning one day and I found all these shoes and it came to me," said Evans. "I was told the children in the community are very poor. Soccer is their national sport, but they can't afford soccer balls, so they will wrap up old shirts to use as a ball. I was going to take soccer balls, but I realized if they can't afford those, they can't afford shoes."

Evans said he is hoping to collect at least enough shoes to fill four suitcases. He plans on distributing them to the children who will be using the school he is helping to build. Additional pairs are destined for an orphanage in the country's capital city, Quito.

"People usually have so many old pairs of shoes and with spring cleaning coming up, they will be throwing them away," he said. "Children will appreciate those shoes so much because they don't have anything."

The trip south is a joint project between Sheridan College's social service worker program and Canada World Youth. Students will live with a host family. The cost of the trip is $3,200, which covers flights, ground travel, meals, lodging and insurance.

Evans anticipates the trip will be the experience of a lifetime.

"I'm excited to go down there and do something new," he said. "It is going to be very fulfilling because I've always wanted to do a mission."

Evans has not been able to find local businesses to serve as drop-off locations for the shoes, so he will be picking up the donations himself. Gently used children's shoes, particularly running shoes, are welcome. He is also collecting monetary donations to cover the cost of shipping extra boxes. The deadline for donations is April 14.

Evans can be contacted by e-mail at andrew.evans2@sheridanc.on.ca or andrewevans@live.ca.