Local ministry will head to Iraq to give shoes to needy children

TULSA - It's a basic necessity that many take for granted---shoes. Jason Law says in Iraq, many kids don't have them. That's where World Compassion Terry Law Ministries comes in.

"To hand them a brand new pair of shoes, they go nuts," Law says.

The group is going to northern Iraq Tuesday where they will team up with some of the local churches. They will hand out 8,600 pairs of new sneakers. Along with the shoe, they get a bible.

"We want to let them know that God loves them, and we do that by meeting a basic need which I believe is 50 percent of the gospel message, just helping people that need something," says Law.

World Compassion gathers the shoes through donations. Organizers say its been a little bit of a struggle with the down economy. Law says he looks forward to the moment when he hands a child a new pair and makes life easier for those kids, even if it's a small step.

"I think in the inside of each one of us, there's a desire to help people and it kind of pulls that out of you," he says.

World Compassion says they've distributed about 45,000 shoes since 2006. New this year, the ministry has also set aside a thousand pairs of shoes to give to needy kids in Tulsa as well.