Recycled shoes give comfort to Alabama community

“The confidence that it gives a person to have shoes on their feet is great,” shares Synovus Community Development Manager Royd (Rod) Williams. “Especially when you think about how people take having shoes for granted.” Since 2019, Williams has collected gently used sneakers for nonprofit Eco Sneakers. The organization provides refurbished sneakers to those in need across the globe.

In 2023, Williams and other Synovus team members spearheaded an event in partnership with Eco Sneakers and the University of Alabama at Birmingham (UAB). They invited local students from Minor and Woodlawn High Schools to visit the university to learn about the school and the importance of financial education and environmental stewardship.

The mission of Eco Sneakers is to give shoes to provide physical and emotional comfort and uplift communities. Since becoming an Eco Sneakers committee member, Williams has led team member and client efforts to donate more than 200 sneakers, making the bank a top donor. Any unusable donations are repurposed and recycled into fun and functional items such as stadium seating, stuffed animals, sandals, mulch and other goods sold exclusively on ecosneakers.org.

During the UAB event, Eco Sneakers Founder and CEO Bobby Johnson presented Williams with its Step Towards Destiny award. Johnson launched Eco Sneakers after encountering a shoeless homeless man whom he gave the shoes off his feet. That was the beginning of his life-changing work and Eco Sneakers. 

Throughout his career, Williams built an extensive volunteer history in social services and social work, and he’s vowed to continue helping others. In his current role, he teaches financial education, including budgeting, saving and making smart money decisions. On UAB’s vast campus, the students took a tour and gained a deeper understanding about obtaining affordable access to college through scholarships, grants and an app that allows them to submit multiple college applications for $25.

“I introduced the students to apps where they could upload their grades and college entrance exam scores," Williams recalls. "And they can apply to the colleges on those sites that recruit the students based on the information they enter." This was all in a day’s work for Williams, a part of his passion for sharing the tools that enable others to reach their full potential. He loves witnessing his listeners understand the ideals he’s taught and apply them to make informed decisions about their futures.

Walking through the campus was a full-circle moment for Williams, who graduated from UAB and played in the NFL for the Oakland Raiders (2002) and then the Indianapolis Colts (2003). Since the end of his professional football career, he’s become a highly active member of the NFL Players Association (NFLPA), where he was introduced to Eco Sneakers at an event in Birmingham.

Today, he serves as secretary for the NFLPA Birmingham chapter. A few of his NFL buddies even showed up at the UAB event to support Williams and encourage the students to dream big. “The students had conversations with them about life and college, quizzing them about their time in the NFL,” he recalls.

Eco Sneakers Community Affairs Director Lynn McCray says, “Royd has had such a major impact. He goes all out and is committed to what we’re doing. To me, he is the epitome of Here Matters. He cares about people and the community and brings other people in.” Eco Sneakers presented each student with brand-new sneakers, and a local sports store gave them a gift card.

Learn more about Syovus in the community and it’s Here Matters outreach program.