Soles 4 Souls Fundraising

Dear Friends & Family,

     I am writing to you to share my intent to participate in a service trip to Haiti this winter with theSoles 4 Souls organization, and to ask for your help in allowing me to do so. Soles 4 Souls is a wonderful organization that I discovered when doing some online research about becoming involved with outreach programs. Soles 4 Souls collects monetary donations as well as new and gently used shoes and clothing in order to provide people with such necessary items. Shoes are simple articles of clothing that I personally find can be taken for granted when they are so readily available (and possessed in overabundance in my case), yet there are people all over the world without even a single pair. Shoes can prevent injury and disease, and are required in order to attend school for many children in certain countries.

For a long time I have desired to participate in some kind of mission trip where good works could be shared with others, and fulfillment could be found in doing what I know God calls all of us to do. Connecting with, and supporting one another is so crucial to finding happiness and strength throughout difficult times or seasons.  A year ago this month, I found that I didn’t need to travel far from home in order to provide help and support to those in need. After super storm Sandy devastated many areas of the New Jersey shoreline, my hometown of Ocean City was one such area left with flooded homes and businesses, dampened spirits, and a foggy perspective on how to repair the damage.

Looking at Ocean City and its’ residents now from any angle it is hard to tell that Sandy took a toll on us. That is all thanks to the amazing members of our local community and even people from all over the country that came together to form and support OCNJ C.A.R.E. (cleanup and recovery effort), an organization that helped to repair homes, businesses, provide food and shelter, and most importantly give hope. I was blessed to be in a position with my job that gave me no choice but to volunteer, and I am so grateful for that! What I found most incredible was that many of the people who had been affected by Sandy still put aside some of their own needs in order to help those less fortunate.

While the inspiration for me to do more had been all around me for so long, my experience dealing with the aftermath of Sandy allowed me to realize that I am more than capable of reaching out and lending a hand, or a pair of shoes in this case to someone in need. Although I don’t yet know to what extent, I am prepared for my eyes to be opened wide to the needs of people outside of my quaint and comfortable seashore town. Haiti and Ocean City, NJ in no way compare on levels of poverty or destruction caused by a natural disaster, yet Soles 4 Souls has helped many people in Haiti after their devastating earthquake, as well as many Sandy victims in New Jersey. I want to be a part of Soles 4 Souls’ journey of “changing the world one pair at a time,” and by making a donation or even sharing their information through social media you can be a part of it too! During my trip I will join a group of people that will hand deliver shoes and other necessary items to children and adults. We will not simply be handing over the items, but taking the time to connect with the Haitian people and learn from them.

If you are able to make a donation I would be so grateful! There is no minimum required so even $1 counts and helps. All donations made will go directly to funding my trip. The information on how to make a donation is listed below. If nothing else, I hope you can check out the Soles 4 Souls website and learn more about what the organization does, and how they are changing the world one pair at a time! 

*Trip Fees ($2000) Include:

International airfare, lodging, meals, ground transportation, security, guides, excursion fees, travelers insurance, entry and exit fees, welcome package and materials, and a portion will go to offset the cost of shipping shoes. So far I have raised $500 thanks to generous donations.

*Checks must be made out to Soles4Souls, Inc. Please note Caitlin Greene, Haiti in the memo line. Checks can be mailed to:

Soles4Souls, Inc.

Attn: Travel4Souls

319 Martingale Drive

Old Hickory, TN 37138

*Another way to make a donation is by visiting my personal fundraising page on the Soles 4 Souls website at http://soles4souls.org/caitlin-greene.

Visit soles4souls.org and find my page by typing Caitlin Greene in the search bar on the bottom right of the page.

Thanks so much for taking the time to read my message!

 I will be collecting shoes (new & used) as well over the holiday season. Family, if you could gather up any old shoes you are willing to donate I can collect them when I see you over Thanksgiving or Christmas. Friends, let me know if you have any to give away and I will gladly pick them up! My email is cagreene@email.msmary.edu.  

Caitlin Greene