See What This Awesome Company is all About!

Shoes are awesome.

They protect our feet.

They can be fashionable,

or adorable,

or comfy.

And, they can help people in need.

You may have heard of TOMS, as they have become super stylish and popular and trendy these days.

Toms is company that sells shoes, backpacks and accessories, and for each pair of shoes sold, they give a pair to a child who doesn’t have a pair.

Which is really AWESOME!

Running around with bare feet can be dangerous, and presents a lot of risks. You may  be thinking “That’s silly, I used to run around with bare feet all the time, children should run around barefoot sometimes” (Okay, maybe not all of you thought that, but if you did, listen up!).

This isn’t like running around in a grassy backyard, where these kids walk they really could get hurt by not wearing shoes. If they step on something, they might get TB because there are not usually reliable medical services in those types of areas. They probably do not have a TB shot.

Also, kids need shoes to go to school. If they can’t go to school then they will not have education. That is terrible as well.

So Toms gives a pair of shoes for each and every pair purchased.

They have some very cute show styles if I do say so myself.

Another thing that they do is for every pair of sunglasses purchased, they help restore eyesight to someone in need with vision impairments.

They have a buy one, give one for every product they sell. For each bag, they will help provide a safe birth for a mother and child in need! (That’s helping 2 LIVES!)

And when you buy coffee from them, they will help provide safe water to regions without access to safe water!

The mission of the TOMS company is a great one, so when shopping for shoes, bags, sunglasses and coffee, do consider supporting them

 

 

 

It is Christmas all year long with Operation Christmas Child!

Christmas time is a wonderful time of year. A time of giving and receiving and celebrating the birth of Christ.

However, some kids will never see presents under the tree. Some kids may never receive a Christmas gift, or any kind of a gift at all. That is where Operation Christmas Child comes in!

What is OCC?

Operation Christmas Child is a branch of Samaritans purse (A Christ-based relief organization). They collect and deliver shoe box sized boxes to children living in poverty.

The box may be filled with hygiene items, school supplies, toys, clothing and other fun things that a child may love. Often times this box may be the only gift that a child in this type of situation ever receives. (So if you ever pack one, make sure that it is GREAT! 🙂 )

They deliver the shoe boxes to 3rd world countries and other places living in poverty.

They make the kids smile, give them hope, show them someone cares, are a mighty gospel-sharing opportunity for those who volunteer to deliver boxes and have so many wonderful long term benefits!

 

Some of you may be reading this and think “That is quite a great cause, but I don’t have the time to pack a shoe box!”

Well fear not! for OCC has come up with the perfect solution for such excuses.

Online shoe-box making!

I recently built a shoe box online myself since I (Unfortunately) missed the collection week, and completely forgot about building a shoe box at all.

I looked around at the different ages for boys and girls and the gift options only vary slightly for each group.

I built a box for a boy aged 10-14 (As I’ve read that that is the age for which the least amount of shoe boxes is received.)

It is a very simple process.

As you can see, you can even just donate the $25 and they will build a box for you!

But we are going to focus on building our own.

For the purpose of showing the process, I’ve selected a boy aged 2-4 (the SECOND LEAST received type of box).

 

Anyways, you choose to add the essential products (hygiene items and school supplies)

And then add various toys and neat things the child will enjoy (different ages will have varying items to choose, less toys and more things that would interest them)

And then you add a few accessories so they have something to wear or something they can really use.

When you are all finished you have the option to write a note and include  photo of you and your family if you choose.

It is $25 to build the box this way and an extra $6 if you wish to track where it goes.

If you want to build an online shoe box of your own,  click on this link and it will take you to where you can build one.

 

 

 

 

4 reasons to pack a shoebox

Chances are, this passed November you have heard people talking about packing shoe boxes.

What that means is that they are taking a small box (shoe box sized) and filling it with all kinds of things.  toothbrushes, toothpaste, hair brushes, wash clothes, bars of soap, pencils, notebooks, toys and a variety of other things.

That may sound like a strange concept to just pack a bunch of things inside a shoe box, but it is all for a great cause.

This was started by an organization called ‘Samaritans Purse’ Which is a Christ based organization for relief programs.

They started another organization called Operation Christmas Child. They collect these shoe boxes people put together and send them to children who need them.

Even if you don’t have time to fill a shoe box yourself, they now have the option to do so online. learn about that here.

There are many reasons why packing a shoe box will be beneficial, but here are some of the reasons you should consider it.

1. It will make a child happy. The children receiving these boxes will so thrilled to open them and see what is inside. They might have never had something nice of their own before, and will appreciate each and every thing packed inside the box.
2. It will give a child hope. Opening the shoe box and finding the things inside will make the child feel hopeful that they can have a better future.
3. It will give a child the chance to hear the gospel. When the boxes are delivered some of the people who help with delivery tell the children about the greatest gift. The gift of salvation. Many young children will get saved from this organization.
4. It will make a child feel loved. Even if you are halfway around the world from each other, the child will still feel a connection to you and you will both probably end up praying for each other. The child will feel especially loved by you if you include a little note within the box.

Even if you miss the pickup day, you can still send a shoe box to their office. find out more here.

 

Why change the world?

I want to change the world. That is a pretty bold statement for the first post, I’m sure.

I know that changing the whole world is a long shot. When I was a freshman in high school, I was in this English class.

One day the teacher was saying that she wished she could change the whole world. However she admitted that would be a lot of work for just one person.

So she changed our perspective since our freshmen brains were overwhelmed of the thought of changing the world.

She said, that her ultimate goal, is to change one world at a time.

What she meant by that is: Imagine somebody living in poverty. They do not know how to escape poverty by themselves. So someone comes along and gives them food and necessities they cannot afford and teaches them how to overcome poverty. Now this person’s world has been changed, and they may go on to help there people overcome poverty.

That was a pretty drastic example. Changing someones world does not always have to be such a large gesture. It can be as simple as packing a shoebox filled with goodies for a child who wouldn’t otherwise receive a Christmas present. (More on that at a later time 🙂 )

Or perhaps, if you have the monthly finances you could change a child’s world for the better. (More on this in a later post as well.)

Even something as simple as writing an encouraging note to someone going through hardship can be world-changing!

Hopefully I will  be able to post weekly at the very least. Although, I will be in college, so we shall see how this goes. 🙂

I hope that his blog will encourage you to change someones world!