Mona Purdy: 17th District Winner, 2012 Peggy A. Montes Unsung Heroine of Cook County Award

Mona Purdy was inspired by a trip to Guatemala that left a lasting impression on her.

In Guatemala, she met an American orthopedic surgeon who performed amputations of infected limbs of children.  He said that the amputations could be prevented if only the children had shoes and socks.  Mona was changed and inspired by this realization.

Upon her return home, Mona turned this one-time trip into her life’s work.  She founded a charitable organization named, “Share Your Soles”.  The mission is to collect new and used shoes to deliver to impoverished people throughout the world, without boundaries or borders.  If there’s a need, Share Your Soles is willing to fill it.  And sole by sole, they are making the world a better place.