Raleigh nonprofit uses Pokemon Go craze to help the homeless

A local nonprofit is using the Pokemon Go craze to help the homeless.

Many players of the mobile game gather at downtown Raleigh’s Nash Square and outside the Convention Center to catch virtual critters. So volunteers from When Grace Happens, a Raleigh group that works with the homeless, went to those spots over the weekend and on Tuesday to collect new and gently used shoes.

The campaign, called My Best Foot Forward, gathered more than 300 pairs of shoes that will be distributed to six organizations that help the poor, including Raleigh Rescue Mission and the Oak City Outreach Center.

“Our slogan is, ‘If the shoe fits, share it,’ ” said Stefan Youngblood, 54, who runs When Grace Happens. “It breaks down all kinds of racial and dividing walls. Everybody needs shoes.”

Some people gave volunteers the shoes off their feet, Youngblood said. Some who walked by on their lunch break returned later to donate.

Many of the volunteers helping with My Best Foot Forward are homeless or used to be homeless. Rob Frohlking, 42, said he used to live in a bush on Edenton Street.

A decent pair of shoes is crucial for those who spend their days and nights on the streets, Frohlking said. “You walked everywhere.”

For the homeless, a new pair of boots could mean a job opportunity. Dress shoes could help land them a job interview, Frohlking said.

Youngblood said he noticed more people out and about playing Pokemon Go, and he figured he could turn the increased foot traffic into something positive for When Grace Happens.

The city of Raleigh was criticized over the weekend when police asked Pokemon Go players to leave Nash Square around midnight Saturday because the park was closed. The police department later posted on Twitter that it was “happy to see so many in Nash Square having fun” and wanted to encourage safety.

Youngblood said he met Jonathan Pagan, 22, a student at Wake Tech, in Nash Square at a Pokemon Go meetup and shared his thoughts on using the game for something good.

Pagan, a member of several Facebook groups organized around the game, suggested spreading the word about the shoe drive via social media.

“There’s very little that you can do by yourself,” Youngblood said. “It takes everybody.”

When Grace Happens is still accepting donations of shoes and money. For more information, go to whengracehappens.org.

This story was originally published August 3, 2016 at 5:20 PM with the headline "Raleigh nonprofit uses Pokemon Go craze to help the homeless."