Sneakers y Sueños founder and president Aaron Guerrero (right) is pictured delivering the collection alongside Maha Hejazi (left), a representative of the Advocate Program, as the organization completed the final step of its inaugural drive.
Sneakers y Sueños Collects 126 Pairs of Shoes in Inaugural Shoe Drive
First-ever drive brings together the Miami-Dade Public Defender’s Office and Advocate Program to put donated footwear directly into the hands of those in need
Sneakers y Sueños, Inc. marked a major milestone this month, collecting 126 pairs of shoes during the nonprofit organization’s first-ever community shoe drive.
The three-week initiative began July 27, 2026, and was made possible through the support of the Law Offices of the Public Defender Carlos J. Martinez, which opened its doors to the drive and gave employees an opportunity to donate new and gently used footwear.
What followed was an overwhelming response. Employees throughout the office contributed shoes, while members of the facilities team helped coordinate the collection. By the drive’s conclusion, 126 pairs had been collected for distribution to individuals in need through the Advocate Program.
Sneakers y Sueños originally hoped to donate footwear directly to individuals participating in Miami-Dade’s Jail Diversion Program (JDP). After learning that legal and administrative restrictions prevented the courts from accepting outside donations, the organization looked for another way to reach the same community.
Tim Coffey of the Jail Diversion Program helped provide that path by referring Sneakers y Sueños to the Advocate Program, allowing the organization to continue pursuing its original goal despite the initial obstacle.
Sneakers y Sueños extends a special thank you to Coffey for making that connection, as well as Isabel Perez Marino, Chief Executive Officer of the Advocate Program, for welcoming the partnership and helping create an avenue through which the donated footwear could reach individuals who need it.
“For our first drive to result in 126 pairs of shoes is something we’re incredibly proud of,” Guerrero said. “But what means the most is knowing exactly where those shoes are going. We want every person who donated to see that their contribution made it from their hands directly to the community we promised to serve.”
Founded in 2025 by Guerrero alongside board members Ismael Tijerino and Nicholas Torres, Sneakers y Sueños was created around a simple mission: to provide footwear to people in need through direct assistance, community partnerships and charitable shoe drives.
The organization also aims to make transparency a central part of that mission. The completion of its first drive provides donors with a visible result: 126 donated pairs, collected and delivered for a specific community purpose.
Sneakers y Sueños credits the success of the initiative to Public Defender Carlos J. Martinez for approving and supporting the drive; the employees of his office who donated; the facilities team that helped coordinate the collection; Coffey for connecting the organization with Advocate; and Perez-Marino, Maha Hejazi, and the Advocate Program team for helping turn those donations into direct assistance.
For Sneakers y Sueños, the inaugural drive is intended to be the first of many.
About Sneakers y Sueños, Inc.
Sneakers y Sueños, Inc. is a Florida nonprofit organization founded in 2025 to provide footwear to individuals and communities in need. Through shoe drives, direct donations and community partnerships, the organization seeks to turn generosity into tangible assistance while showing donors the real-world impact of their contributions. Learn more at sneakersysuenos.org
Source:
https://communitynewspapers.com
