Donate old shoes for a worthy cause? Not exactly something you could imagine Blair Waldorf doing. When given the opportunity to support a charity, she chose the Ostroff Treatment Center, just so she could out her BFF for having a fake drug problem. Really Blair?

Fortunately, in real life, Leighton Meester is completely the opposite. She’s charming, gorgeous, and totally puts her heart into amazing causes. She recently teamed up with Safe Horizon, the leading victim assistance organization, and UNIFEM, the women’s fund at the United Nations, to raise awareness for domestic violence. And good timing too as October is Domestic Violence Awareness month.
Leighton walked down the running in Union Square Park, NYC, braving the dozens of screaming photogs, and donated a pair of her fabulous shoes toward Soles4Soles, which distributes both new and gently worn shoes to the needy worldwide. Marshalls gave out a pair of new fall shoes to the first 100 women who donated their shoes. In addition, they’re donating up to $150,000 to Safe Horizon to help put an end to domestic violence.

CGG spoke to Leighton about what teenagers can do to prevent domestic violence in their own lives. “I think that the key is being aware and keeping a dialogue open with your friends and family,” she tells us. “And if you think that domestic violence is happening to someone that you love, help protect them.”

Go here for more helpful hints on what you can do to prevent domestic violence!