GOING GOING GONE !

The soccer boots are finally on their way to the Songheni Village, South Africa where 45 young children eagerly await their gifts. But to get the boots on their way took some doing. We share these things with you the donor because your generosity has made this happen and we are sure you would be interested to know that the goods were safely delivered and distributed.

Family members rallied around to pack the boxes the right way to keep them from falling apart. Afterall before the boxes reach their destination, they would have been handled by many hands. Now we know the kind of tape we have to keep in stock to add security to the packaging. The two boxes were hauled off to the Post Office, one was rejected as too large, although we had researched the required size and thought they both measured up.

So back home we went, purchased the right size box and repacked the boots. There were custom forms to fill out and the packages were insured just in case they went astray or the goods were damaged. This time the box was the right fit and now we await word of their arrival from South Africa. We continue to learn and hope. More to come.

Partnerships Formed

So far we have joined forces with the following groups to securely distribute shoes to the children in need:

Solidarite Chambellanaise, Brooklyn,NY/Chambellan,Haiti
Anchovy Primary School, Montego Bay, Jamaica/W.I.
Vineyard Ministries, Bronx, NY
Songeni Football Club, South Africa

Thanks to all who made this happen, we will continue to update you on all progress made.

The Heart And Sole Event

"Give without remembering that you gave and take without forgetting that you have taken." I keep this quote close by and often times I ponder these words that remind me of my social resposibilities. So on a whim I planned the HEART AND SOLE event. The invitation touted a pre-valentine's dinner and asked the guests to participate in the spirit of giving by helping the CHOOSETOCARE organization put a smile on the faces of needy children and young adults and a brand new pair of shoes on their soles. The attendees were also asked to wear something red with valentine's day celebration in mind and also to bring awareness of heart disease that continues to take the lives of so many.

So the event was a tall order for the group gathered in red at the Tandoor Restaurant, ready to enjoy the mouthwatering and spicy cuisine of Northern India. The waiters asked "why didn'tyou tell us to wear red?" And without missing a beat, I quipped"you didn't get the memo?" That little bantering set the stage for what can be described as a delightful evening. We ordered meals that some could hardly pronounced only to find out it is chicken or eggplant or lentils, all foods we are used to but tonight dressed up in a different style.

We were not in a secluded area by ourselves but all of us seemed oblivious to the diners scattered around us. We were a raucous crowd, from one end of the table came belly laughs, at the other end and in between the folks were catching up on old times or making new acquaintances. Listening to these high pitched conversations, watching someone hold court as she engaged her fellow companions at her table in 'serious' talk that elicited roaring laughs, assured me that we owned this night.

Before we chowed down, I managed to give a little history of the CHOOSETOCARE organization. I spoke about each project that we have sponsored and invited everyone to visit the web site to learn more. While we savored the dishes and between bites I had numerous requests for another night like this, very soon. One of the guests, high on excitement called for a woman's group. She said if Oprah can have a book club, then we can have a woman's club. All things are possible my friend.

Then as I typically do I began to contemplate, my mind wandered to the significance of this gathering. This I realized was more than about food, it was also a hunger for a good time. In this merriment everyone became 'still', it was an unhurried moment. Tonight's gathering was ripe for the picking, we managed to carve out a pathway to better understanding, we met outside our usual setting-work and discovered sisterhood. The grand prize, a sterling silver shoe pendant is symbolic of hope, that we will use our abilities and experiences to make a difference. I heard your requests and I am already planning our springtime rendezvous.

And as I go about my business of doing one of the things that matters most to me, my other wish is that this will mushroom into something larger so that we can help as many kids as possible. Congratulations to the winner of the sterling silver shoe pendant, it is a reminder of your help to give a pair of shoes to a child in need. Thanks to you all for standing with me.

Putting The Best Foot Forward

The launch of the website: choosetocaresite.org got off to a fabulous start, since then it has been revamped to add a blog. We are sure this will not be the last update but for now we are content to maintain it's simplicity as we try to bring you our latest adventures.

Right now we are wrapping up our present project, just waiting to iron out a few more details and then we hope that our package will safely reach the Songeni Village in South Africa where 45 young children are awaiting their new soccer shoes and maybe jerseys. The Choose to Care family rolled up their sleeves and assisted in their own way. They helped to navigate the internet to order the shoes and get the best prices. They pointed us to manufacturers who could possibly help us with some donated goods. We did the paperwork for the requests and we are patiently waiting for some good news. We have received lessons in International mailing from a family member who has this down pat. They all became a part of the action of Choose to Care's mission, which is to put a brand new pair of shoes on the feet of needy children and young adults and a smile on their faces.

We have also made plans for 20 boys and girls from an elementary school in Jamaica to receive a brand new pair of shoes. My colleague who runs a breakfast program from New York City for about 50 boys and girls is on her way to the Caribbean to visit the young children and will personally take them to the shoe store to purchase their shoes. Way to Go!

Lastly, we are planning a small benefit dinner to introduce the Choose to Care Organization. This heart and sole pre-valentine's celebration set for 2/13/09 will expand knowledge of the Choose to Care Organization and hopefully will draw in a few more souls who wish to participate in the spirit of giving. I hope the evening will have everyone all revved up and cause a stir. Be on the lookout for more scoop.

IF THE SHOES FIT......

With the experience of purchasing and shipping under my belt I am feeling bloated. I have long forgotten the hardship of the first encounter because I am off to another adventure. I am thinking that I am on EASY STREET but I had a rude awakening. I have googled{this is my new way of figuring out things} and found out where this distant village is located and garnered satisfying background information. The marketing manager has filled out the required application and has stated the amount of soccer shoes needed in each size. I am all revved up and ready to go shopping for 45 boys under 11 years old, living in the Songeni Village, South Africa.

Then I hit a roadblock. Try as I might I was unable to get the correct answer to what I thought was a very simple question: Are the shoes sizes in South Africa, the same as the sizes in USA? If not what is the equivalent? After numerous E-mails, all I have ended up with are conflicting answers. Even when I googled to the various web sites and there are plenty, I did not get any closer to the answer I sought. I took my question to the "man in the street"{people from the same Continent} and this is the answer I received: "In Senegal we use the European sizes but as for South Africa we are not sure if they go by the UK or European sizes." I am getting warmer and I thanked them for the warmth and honesty.

My steadfast search took me to a great web site in South Africa with mention of Nike as a sponsor to a few of their events. This I thought was my AHA moment. They invited you to E-mail if you had any questions. I gambled, thinking that if I gave a little praise about the wonders of the web site, it would elicit a response. I posed the same pressing question and almost instantaneously there was a reply. This was the dry response: The sizes are according to age.

Now I am in real trouble, I could not decipher what this terse message meant. I have read it over and over, I have shared it with high powered, knowledgeable persons{people who live in sneakers, buy sneakers backed by NBA players, people who do not own a pair of ordinary shoes, by choice, etc.} They too stumbled.

I am starting from ZERO. I cleared the commotion from my head and had a conversation with ME.
Your mission is to put a smile on the faces of these young boys and a brand new pair of soccer shoes on their feet.
You are ready to purchase, package and mail the goods.
You are ready to remove all obstacles and let this happen.
So I took matters in my hands and went to the other expert, a household member who googled and let me read about the purchasing of shoes in South Africa, there was the information I sought, in plain daylight. How could I have missed this? And now, I even have in my possession an International shoe size Conversion Charts/ Converter Tables for shoes sizes. After all sending the wrong sizes would do no good.

I continue to learn valuable lessons, having lots of patience is one of them. Watch out for updates in the Songeni Village Soccer Club. Who knows what lies ahead! What I know for sure is that if the shoes fit you can wear them.

IF THE SHOES FIT.....