Their mission is simple - change the world one pair of shoes at a time.

"I just had the pleasure of putting some shoes on someone a minute ago," David Graben, Executive VP of Soles4Souls said. "I got a hug, a high five and a knuckle pump and it's great."

Soles4Souls doesn't just help provide shoes for those in need here in Jacksonville, but to 130 countries around the world.

At the Mitchell Center on Friday, Graben was one of dozens of volunteers on hand to lace up shoes for more than a thousand men, women, and children.

"Here, you can go down the street and buy a pair, but there's a natural disaster happening in people's lives without any rain, wind or anything," Graben said. "It's the economy."

The organization estimates some 300 million people don't own a pair of shoes.It's a startling statistic that not only resonated, but prompted Pastor Charles Young, with Jacksonville's Celebration Church, to get involved.

"It's so hot here in Jacksonville," Young said. "You walk on the asphalt for 10 seconds and your feet are on fire. We want a little bit of an example of what that's like and what it feels like to not have any shoes for a day."

Church members not only helped fit children with some cool back-to-school kicks, but plenty of classroom supplies and smiles to students like 10-year-old Jade Brown.

"I think a lot for people need shoes and I think it's very helpful to the community and society," Brown said.

While Soles4Souls and Celebration Church hope to distribute even more shoes in the near future, Jade said she's grateful for her fun and functional footwear.

"Yes, they're comfortable."

For more information on this event or the organization, visit Soles4Souls' website by clicking here.