This blog post is written by one of Sole Hope’s Advocates, Pat Schaerdel from Texas. We are blessed to have Advocates around the country that take time to invest in other people and share the mission of Sole Hope while loving others well. We hope that as you read about this special group of women who gave back during a shoe party that your heart will be opened and that you will be moved to do the same! – Ashley Redburn
As they came into the classroom, they were still not sure what to expect. They come several times a week for classes to teach them how to parent, or get a job, or study the Bible, but this was different. Jeans were spread out on the desks and scissors of every color were placed nearby. These girls were attending their first Sole Hope Shoe Cutting Party!
They watched the video with eyes wide and longed to do something to help. The cutting began. They chatted and compared skills and talked of children without shoes and it was beautiful to watch. These girls so used to coming to the pregnancy center to be cared for had a chance to care for someone else. Someone they would never meet, but they understood the sense of hopelessness and what it means when others reach out to help you out of that pit.
They cut out 63 pairs of shoes and asked to please do it again! They talked of jeans that they could bring and friends they could gather on their own. They knew now that even though they were in need of help, they could still help others so far away (and have fun doing it).
Thank you CareNet Pregnancy Center of Waco for teaching this important lesson and we look forward to doing it again each quarter!
Pat Schaerdel, Sole Hope Advocate