The first week of June is the official Barefoot Week. It is an important holiday period, proclaimed by Soles 4 Souls, an international effort to provide shoes to children and adults throughout the world.

Why go barefoot? Well, it is a gentle way to connect with the 300 million children and countless adults around the world who are always barefoot — no matter the terrain or weather. We are currently participating in a statewide campaign, Turn UP the Sole, Georgia!, with Soles 4 Souls. Since it runs only through May 12 , we have decided to move up our Barefoot Week to May 6-12.  So if you would like to go barefoot this week at work, at church, at school or wherever, just let your boss, etc., know that you are doing so to promote donations of shoes for Soles 4 Souls. I am sure they’ll understand, and maybe take their shoes off, too.

The drop boxes for this shoe collection are in: Hinesville City Hall, Fire Department and Police Department; Liberty County Courthouse Annex; Flemington City Hall; Midway City Hall; Walthourville City Hall; Liberty County Health Department; Liberty County Chamber of Commerce; Liberty County Board of Education;  and Liberty County Planning Commission.

We will also accept shoes at our quarterly Recycle It! Fair on Saturday, May 12, from 9 a.m.-1 p.m. at the Liberty County Health Department, 1113 East Oglethorpe Highway in Flemington. The fair, which is sponsored by Keep Liberty Beautiful, Goodwill Industries, and Coastal Auto and Recycling, collects electronics and household hazardous waste items. Here’s what we accept:

• E-waste — computers, printers, monitors, and any computer accessories; stereo equipment, TV; cell phones and accessories. Hard drives will be wiped clean by Goodwill Industries.

• Household paint as long as the cans are sealed and are not rusted. If your cans are not in good condition, add cat litter or sand to the paint, let it dry and then dispose of them in your regular garbage.

• CFLs and fluorescent light bulbs. Check the website on CFL’s for Energy Star (www.energystar.gov) for information on these energy efficient lights.

• Used motor oil and antifreeze, as well as car batteries. Remember to always recycle motor oil and antifreeze as soon as possible. Never pour these items down a drain or just dump them. They really cause severe water pollution problems.

• Household batteries

• Printer ink and toner cartridges

• Telephone books and large sale catalogs

• Hardback books, paperbacks, and textbooks

• Household goods and clothes (in clean, decent condition)

So this week, gather up all those items and shoes are better off not ending up in a landfill.

Upcoming Keep Liberty Beautiful events

• Volunteer appreciation — Keep Liberty Beautiful’s annual volunteer appreciation, 5 p.m.-7 p.m., Thursday, May 24. All 2012 volunteers are welcome. For more information, contact 610-3968 or klcb@coastalnow.net.