All About Shoes

I have always had a love for shoes. When I was young I have memories of my mom and I shopping on weekends at the mall. We would gravitate towards shoes and clothes.

One pair of shoes in particular stands out in my memory. I was of Junior High age, so that would put the time frame in the '80s. The shoes had red laces, the shoes themselves were a brown suede high top boot. Now, I would not necessarily say that they were the 'in' fashion look but the capture was that they were unique and others wanted them. Every time I wore the shoe - I would receive a compliment. People (and I) thought those pair of boots were it. 

I wore those boots to nothing. Year after year, I wore those boots. They held up through the rain and muck of winter. They worked with every bit of jeans that I owned. The red laces, I am sure, were the ticket to awesome. 

While I still love a good pair of shoes - whether they are for fashion or comfort or just because - there are people who have none. I know we all know this, but when it reached my level of conscious that I could no longer turn away from reality, I knew I needed to act. 

I was honored to have my friends join me this week in cutting fabric for the future shoes of Sole Hope. Supplied with a huge box of fabrics, scissors, pins, and patterns by Sole Hope, we made it into a party and spent a morning tracing and cutting. 

The cut fabrics will be sent back to Sole Hope, where they will be matched up with rubber soles cut from used bicycle tires, before traveling in March to the other side of the world to land in Ndola, Zambia, and Bugabo Village in Uganda. There, the Sole Hope team will educate and train women how to assemble and sew the shoes. The proud owners will first be the Orphan children who are shoe-less of those two villages. Orphan children whose parents may have left forever either by death or for reasons unexplained, or whose parent's leave for days at a time on a very regular basis in search of food and water for their children. Orphaned because they are alone, taking in survival by themselves until their parent returns, or until someone else finds the Orphan.

A shoe. 

A shoe can save the life of these precious people, who have not the resources or the know how, about how a shoe can stop the germs from literally eating them alive starting with their feet all the way up. 

So to give of our time this week was a gift to ourselves knowing that we can make a difference - but more importantly, a gift to them with one shoe to save one sole one step at a time.  

Update: January Coats and Blankets

Thank you students and families for donating in a huge way during Piano Monday yesterday! Here is the first wave of a pile started in my foyer for Music For Compassion's January Coats and Blankets Drive.

I appreciate every stitch of donation. It would be fantastic if we could keep items rolling in all month - Children's Hospital Thrift Store will be in for a huge blessing!

THANK YOU SO VERY MUCH!

January Coats and Blankets

Happy New Year 2011!! Many of us plan for new resolutions, whether it is turning in a bad habit, or creating a new positive in one's life, I felt it would be fitting to do the same with Music For Compassion.  While I will continue my monetary commitment, my daily prayers, and my personal involvement with Sole Hope and Wiphan, I am including Music For Compassion's New Year's resolution to include opening up compassion to areas around me with the hopes of encouraging others to join me.

I am pleased to announce that Music For Compassion will be holding a Coats and Blankets drive during the month of January. For my piano students and their families, I will have a box in my foyer where you can toss in your out grown clean coats, and your gently used clean blankets that you are personally tired of but others may enjoy.

For local friends who are followers, you are included too. Just send me a note and we can arrange for me to pick up your goods to include in my donation box.

The first week of February I will drive the big pile to donate to our Children's Hospital Thrift Store (send me a private message if you want specifics of this location).  One Hundred Percent of the net profits benefit Children's.

There are many organizations that are worthy of our donations, but Music For Compassion has chosen Children's because it serves so many youngsters and their families in our community. Not to mention that my immediate family, my brother's extended family, and my church family have all been personally and positively impacted by this great hospital. To give back, to provide help, to make a difference - no matter how big or small - is the right thing to do.

Join Music For Compassion - come throughout the month of January with Coats and Blankets in hand to donate to Children's Hospital.

Thank you and Welcome 2011!