CLAREMORE, Okla. -- A Claremore church is collecting Nike gear to give to the homeless as a result of a controversial ad featuring Colin Kaepernick, which has some discarding their gear associated with the brand.
As a result of Nike including Colin Kaepernickin their 30th anniversary ad campaign, people are boycotting the brand.
Videos on social media show people burning their shoes and cutting up their socks.
"It’s such a waste when there are people out there who don’t even have shoes to walk on who don’t have socks or underwear even," Jessica Joslin, a member of Claremore Restoration Church of God said. "If you don’t want those products anymore, we can distribute them to people who need them."
The Claremore Restoration Church of God set up a box outside their church to collect the Nike merchandise so they could give it to the homeless. The church donates to the homeless in downtown Tulsa once a month.
Joslin said she has gotten an overwhelming response.
"One woman messaged me and said she would leave some stuff at our door that she didn’t think of that," Joslin said. "She was just going to toss it in her burn pile and just burn all her kids' Nike stuff, but I don’t want it in my house anymore. Let someone else have it."
Because the church regularly gives to the homeless, they know the items people are burning, destroying or throwing away can have a real impact for someone who has nothing.
"It is so humbling to hand someone a pair of socks and they break down and cry, because a pair or socks to them is ultimate comfort," Joslin said.
To kids, Joslin said, having something with a Nike check mark can mean the world.
"Brand names are important to kids," Joslin said. "As an adult, it is not important to me, but we had some name brand stuff at our school supply drive and we had a kid who broke down and cried because he was going to have a name brand backpack to go to school."
The church set up a box right next to their sign off of Route 66 and South 4160 Road.
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