PC: Hingham Anchor
A school service project inspired by her late grandmother has grown into a remarkable mission to help people in need, with teenager Maggie Driscoll now working towards collecting 10,000 pairs of shoes. The Hingham resident and Tabor Academy freshman has already gathered 1,913 pairs of new and used footwear for Soles4Souls, an organisation that supports people worldwide. What began during her time at Derby Academy after she received the 2024 Foley Citizenship Prize has since expanded with support from residents and schools. Now, with 8,087 pairs still needed, Maggie is calling on communities, businesses and organisations to help her reach the ambitious target.
Maggie’s motivation began with the story of her late grandmother, who was a teacher in Wisconsin and organised shoe drives for children in need at the end of each school year. That experience stayed with Maggie and later influenced her decision to apply for the Foley Citizenship Prize while she was at Derby Academy. The prize is awarded each year to a seventh-grade student who demonstrates kindness and respect towards others and wants to create positive change. The initiative has expanded well beyond a small school collection. Soles4Souls has rented a storage unit in Weymouth specifically for Maggie’s shoe collection, giving the project a larger space to handle donations from the local and Tabor communities.
