Shoes4Africa.org

Joel was napping on me today and I was flipping channels to pass the time.
I stopped on Montel and thought to myself, "Is he still on the air?"
Anthony Edwards was his guest so I stopped my channel flipping to see what he was doing.
I hadn't seen him in awhile and assumed he had a new show or movie coming out.
But what he spoke of was not a film or new show but an organization he had become involved with. Shoes4Africa.org
The take used, donated running shoes and give them to people in Africa. In the process they have changed lives and entire communities.
Mr. Edwards suggested that the next time your child gets a new pair of shoes, have him/her earn the $7 to send the shoes to the organization to change another child's life.
I thought about this one statement.

It is something I think about often.
Why did I have the good fortune to be born here instead of someplace else. In comparison to the rest of the world we live like kings and queens. By USA standards, we are middle class. There is something inherently disturbing about that.

So I went to the web site to read a bit more... http://www.shoe4africa.org/mission.html
Sadly the USPS has changed its policy so the organization is no longer able to afford to ship the shoes themselves. Since this policy change the cost has risen more than 500%. Very nice.
They are trying to find a shipping company to work with them. I am sure they realize donations will be easier if we don't have to do too much to help out.

I hear about great things like this and so want to help out but then I am strangled by life and my everyday responsibilities and I feel useless and selfish.
I have two pair of running shoes that I no longer wear.

I think I need to see how much it will be to send them to Africa.