Day 62: Sole Hope

One of the coolest things about doing this blog is that it seems to be not only opening my eyes to the good things that are happening, but it seems that other people are on the lookout too.  I've gotten several emails, notes, comments, and Facebook messages alerting me to good news.  Thank you for your help!  It is so appreciated.  And my hope is that not only will I be able to focus on good, or that someday Isla will know of all the good things that are happening, but that YOU also would be more apt to see good.  Every day.  Every where.  

One such referral was from a dear high school friend.  She attends a church in Asheville, North Carolina, where another woman, Asher Collie, attends and has her heart set on making a difference.  As seems to be a developing theme the more I research and learn, Asher was moved in response to an issue that broke her heart.  Rather than allow her heart to become callous to the images and knowledge she was exposed to, she decided to respond.  Instead of "Why me?" she understood her role as "Why NOT me?"

Asher was gracious enough to answer questions over email, to perhaps give you a little more insight into Sole Hope.  I hope you enjoy!

What is Sole Hope?  Sole Hope is a non-profit dedicated to offering hope to widows, orphans and others within impoverished and forgotten communities around the world, by teaching the simple trade of shoe-making which could provide jobs and shoes for those in need.  Sole Hope strives to help prevent disease, parasites and illness by putting closed-toed shoes on orphans and others in desperate need.  Sole Hope will provide program support to our partner communities for a minimum of twelve months, supplying them with fabric, tools and materials, as well as pay the widows for making the shoes.

How do you see, or hope to see, Sole Hope making an impact?  Sole Hope's desire is to bring hope to children's spirits by providing them with a pair of shoes, and hope to those who need jobs by providing them with a trade: shoe-making.  In addition to hope, we want to dramatically reduce the illnesses that enter through the feet.  Many children in third world countries have limited medical access, so when they become ill due to worms, parasites, or even cutting their foot open because they do not have proper shoe wear, they have no where to turn.  We hope to eliminate these problems before they happen.

What was the inspiration for Sole Hope?   The inspiration for Sole Hope came after I watched a video detailing the gravity of diseases that enter through the feet.  I was compelled to do something.  A great number of illnesses can be eliminated just by using clean water and wearing closed-toed shoes.  So Sole Hope is working in communities that have clean water resources but limited shoes for children (mainly due to poverty.)

Can you explain the process of actually making the shoes?    We sew the vamp of the shoe (that's the upper) out of upholstery material, and the sole is made from tire.  The goal is to be able to provide each location with an industrial sewing machine, but for the moment we are doing everything by hand.  We are using all materials that have been donated, and we find tires that are going to be thrown away.  The significance of the materials is that they are recycled (the sole), and they are easy to work with, and inexpensive to buy.  The fabric upper dries easily when it gets wet, and it also can be replaced when it wears out, and the sole can be reused.  As for the pattern, one of our shoes was designed by myself, and one by Beth Gaffney of Asheville, NC. 

What keeps you motivated and encouraged in the work you are doing?  The faces of the children I went to visit in May in Ndola, Zambia.  I just look at their pictures and I know that what we are doing here is for a greater cause, even more than their feet.  Their lives are so intense compared to what we experience here in the US.  There are times when I am also motivated by others here in the States that are helping me with this mission.  We have some really amazing supporters behind us and I have an awesome board of directors that really help me keep my heart in check...motivated and excited about the difference God is making through us.  

Can you share any positive stories?  There are several positive things that have come out of Sole Hope in the short time we've been in existence.  We recently just sent our first pair of Sole Hope shoes to Kenya, Africa and I got an email from Kenya saying they loved the shoes and were so excited about them!  After all of the road blocks we ran into with creating the shoe pattern with the available materials this was an encouraging email! 

Do you have any wisdom, lessons, or encouragement, that you have learned along the way that you can share?  Without writing an novel I would just encourage everyone to find something they are passionate about and figure out a way they can use that gift to help someone else.  And, if you are like me and something seems to be set before you that you know nothing about (such as making shoes,) go for it!  Research it, learn all you can and with God's help you can make a difference.  If you are not a self starter, go find an organization that you love and ask how you can help!  That is SO invaluable and just as important as starting something new.  Don't overlook needs in your community, too!  It seems since starting Sole Hope my eyes have been opened to more and more needs around me and around the world.  Be prepared for set backs and don't expect others to be excited for you.  I know that may sound harsh, but not everyone will be excited about what you are doing.  That was one of the hardest things for me to learn.  You will find that when you help someone else, and give of yourself, you will in turn be filled, your heart will overflow and be full!