Across the Pond and Land Momentum

1-25-09

It’s fascinating how much this project has gone in the time frame of three weeks. Today I spoke with a good friend who lives in Hawaii. For a while he was trying to find ways to help give back to the Philippines. After exchanging on ideas and goals, here we are writing about it, and telling our readers about the future goals we want to do with Hawaii, and helping pitch in the project. We are definitely exited to have Damian help run the program in the side of the world. You guys will probably hear more about Damian and his future goals on our blog.

The momentum continues as I was recently asked by a friend from Honduras, on our projects. She had mentioned to me how her town is hard press for finding good quality medical attention, even worse, un-sanitary medical equipment. She had mentioned many stories from; mothers giving birth to dirty floors, blood everywhere, and using the same unsterilized equipments. Lack of knowledge on infection control, lack of supplies, lack of training, just basically needs help. I knew these problems excited in many third world locations, Central America is an ideal place to help make small steps into taking an initiative to help out. Not having to deal with a big distance, shipping cost will be a little bit cheaper, in comparisons to Africa or Asia. For the meantime, we hope to help put attention to these areas. So we are in talks of how we can help assist in medical supplies drive for this small town of Honduras. Make sure to check with us often and see how this develops.

Giving Life to Donated Shoes

1-21-09

Last night Josie had hauled about half of the shoes they collected and cleaned up. I was amazed on how much they were able to stuff an SUV full of shoes. I think we unloaded about 15 bags full of shoes. My living room was literally filled with shoes, shoes, shoes. Afterwards, as I pondered after unloading, I couldn’t help but think about the shoes, and where they originated from. There is history in these shoes, someone had worn them previously, and maybe had gone the distance with them. I would imagine people wearing these shoes and going places. Perhaps some of the shoes have also gone the distance, which is like my story below. With the project we are doing, we hope to give new life to each pair, and give it to someone who will add more distance to them. We hope to help document them from their transition of ownership and its final stages of life, per say. We hope the receiving end will find them useful and make their lives a little easier, one step at a time.

Russo Shoe Story: I myself am I big fan of shoes and distance. Years back, I was a proud owner of a pair of New Balance which I had purchased back in the early 2000. These shoes where a part of my life for several years, and have been to places along with stamps on my passport. The same pair of shoes has traveled with me to 4 different continents. It has seen a fair share of adventure, rugged terrain, night life, and tranquil. I gave my shoes a final good bye when I was in Guatemala, at Tikal in 2003 I gave them one last salud and took a picture of the pair with a famous ruin, which coincidently I was trying to mimic a cover of a Lonely Planet cover book. It finally reached its destination in Costa Rica, which I left them behind. I never really connected with any of my shoes my shoes before, until, I realized the length and foot prints those shoes have been through. It makes an interesting story to my own travel journal, and to anyone willing to listen to my stories. See the picture below on the 4 continent shoes.

Moving forward with the project, I hope to make some creative images with them, and to show some of our viewers the distance they have gone through, and the work behind it. If you where one of the donors who gave shoes, and if you see the shoes you donated, make sure to leave us a comment. It would be nice to connect a mystery shoe we received, and to have it connect with its previous owner. Maybe perhaps we will have captured a picture of the new owner. So check back with us for updates.

Welcome Mr. Obama!

1-21-09
Yesterday was history in the making, and it sure was a memorable moment, even though we were in front of the TV, we felt the positive energy. We want to welcome Mr. Barrack Obama as the new US president of the USA. Obama brings in an inspiration to others, that anything is possible. Most of us volunteers in the shoe drop project feel this is a positive change and a new direction. All of us are motivated to contribute something, even at a small scale, to help others in need. We hope the fire keeps going, and also inspire others to make a difference in their community or somewhere else.

Project Shoe Drop 2009

1-18-2009

Greetings fellow blog readers! I had created a new blog for this project. After finishing our Food Drive in Los Angeles, we were looking to do for something more. A few months ago, we have been pondering about doing a shoe drop somewhere, and in the last few weeks, the project has grown like wild fire. The word got around that we are planning on a Shoe Drop project, and sure enough people joined on board. From Los Angeles, Santa Monica, Santa Clarita, and Tehachapi; shoes came walking in from donors.

Here are some of the stories from the volunteers.

Kisha's Shoe Story: Kisha currently resides in the Socal Region. A few weeks ago, she was in the East coast (Philly), visiting her family for the holidays, she never intended on buying shoes for the kids there. But something about the project that inspired her, she was really motivated to start the project, so she decided to buy shoes in Delaware, which there is no tax there. She drove with her girlfriend to a shoe store with intensions of spending more than $200 for the kids. This was her way of a christmas gift to herself. Now imagine what the airline check in staff would say about your luggage. Fast forward a few days later, sure enough, she had a very funny story about coming to the airport, and checking in her luggage, she was commented on, "You sure you have enough shoes?" She would need to tell you the full story to really get the moment. Maybe she can blog about it later on. We just want to say thank you Kisha!

These shoes have traveled quite a distance, and it doesn't stop there, we plan to head down South of Califonia and donate them to kids. So make sure to follow our story here.

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Jill and Josie's Shoe Story: When the word got around that we were doing a shoe drop, Jill was hooked. She saw some random message on Facebook, and she was already interested. Not within two weeks Jill already had 250 plus shoes collected. I was really amazed on how fast this project was moving. Jill is one of our good friends, always has a positive energy and attitute! One of the nicest people you will ever meet. Her daughter Josie, is like her mom! Two amazing people who is helping to make a difference, even if it's one shoe at a time.

Back to Jill and Josie's shoe story; ever since Jill started putting the word out that she was collecting shoes, she recruited help from her church, and moms from Santa Clarita and Tehachapi area. Every week, Jill was getting phone calls on boxes of shoes ready to be picked up. Once she recieved them, Jill spent hours washing and cleaning them. The project got to be so big, Josie stepped in to help give new life to these donated shoes. Every days since she started to collect, Jill and Josie has been on a mission. Thank you Jill and Josie!


Check out some of our pictures from the shoe collection.

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