I found a box of shoes that I hadn't even opened since we moved into our house three years ago. Clearly, these were not shoes that would be missed. There were three pairs of sneakers that together had been worn a total of six times (one pair was possibly never worn, which is not normally the case for me and I think I received them from a friend who didn't want them). GREAT condition. See for yourself:
Those shoes that had been taking up valuable storage space in my basement are now in the hands of Share Your Soles. Share Your Soles was started by a woman who traveled to Central America and was told by an American orthopedic surgeon she met in the village that if children there had shoes to wear he wouldn't have to visit to perform amputations on children with infected limbs. Playing with bare feet, leads to cuts, leads to infection, etc. Heart-breaking, right? So, she got home, collected shoes, and brought them to an orphanage in Honduras and that good deed resulted what is now Share Your Soles.
They sort, sanitize, and polish donated shoes to ensure people are given shoes with dignity, not crap. Shoes have been provided around the world, including: Central America, Southeast Asia, The Caribbean, Appalachia, Africa, Eastern Europe, American Indian Reservations, India, Ecuador, Peru, Haiti, Sri Lanka, Uganda, Cameroon, Nicaragua, Tanzania, and Ghana.
The best part: It's easy to make the donation. There are ton of running shops that accept drop-offs, including a Runner's Edge store a few blocks from my house. So, I made the quick trip with W and used it as an opportunity to explain why we were giving these shoes away. He looked at them and I explained that they were barely worn and I had plenty of shoes. He asked a lot of why questions, most of which I couldn't really answer. The only thing I can assure him is that hard work and luck from generations of both my and Matt's families means that he will never have to worry about a pair of shoes. Another reminder to be thankful for every step we take in shoes.
What was your good deed this week? Join me as I do one good deed a week in 2012.
Note: I am in no way affiliated with Share Your Soles,nor was I compensated for this post. All information was found on their website: www.shareyoursoles.org
3 comments:
Were those horrid blue shoes once mine?? I think they were. Thank god you got rid of them!! ;) Well done mama! xoxo
Why, yes, my dear... Those are your horrid shoes that I took from you years ago thinking they might look cute with a pair of jeans. And they were never worn by either of us. At least someone will get good use out of them! xoxo
Oh I love this, Lisa! You need to put up a linky so people can better share their stories and good deeds. It's definitely needed!
We did our good deed this week, although it was not a planned one: http://honestandtruly.blogspot.com/2012/01/imparting-life-lessons.html
That said, I have shoes bagged up in great condition that we've been meaning to donate. This may be my impetus, thanks!
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