I went to write, but...

I went to Mothers Helping Mothers today to take pictures for the blog and find people to interview, but I was quickly distracted.  I thought it might happen, but I did not know how it would make me feel.  The distraction? Shoes!  Not just any shoes, but cute new kids shoes that were recently donated from a generous corporate foundation.  I brought the shoes (1,000 pairs to be exact) to Mothers Helping Mothers this morning since they were delivered to my house.  When I turned into the parking lot, I had to do a double take since there was a HUGE line in front of MHM and no place to park.  Let me be clear, people were parked all over the place and I actually had to pass up the location once and try a second time since people were backing out of the lot onto 301- that's how crazy it was!  Once inside, the craziness consumed me and I was on a mission to talk to people and take pictures and in my defense, I did that for a little bit.  Once it calemd down a little I received help unloading the shoes out of my car and we began sorting them. 

That's when the "Santa" gene took ahold of me and would not let go.  The shoes weren't officially being given out yet because we were so busy, but after I heard a few stories of customers I could not resist.  I began giving out shoes to perfect strangers in need and they were so thankful.  Many of these people have NEVER had anything new for their children.  One lady was about to have twins (a girl and a boy) and I gave her a pair for each.  She was so very thankful.  She said that her and her husband were unsure of how they would provide for the new babies (she already has an older daughter) but that blessings are just being poured upon her and her family.  The look in her eyes told me how thankful she was for the shoes.  A small gesture, but to her it was just another step in being able to provide for her unborn children.  This is just one of the many people that received new shoes for their children today.

Please DO NOT get the idea to go to Mothers Helping Mothers for new shoes for your children if you are not in need of assistance.  These shoes are meant for families who are unable to provide for their children on their own.  Although we do not have all sizes, clients are truly thankful for what they receive.  Even today, some parents learned that we may only have the correct size for one of their five children.  The smile on the mother's face was just as big for that one pair of new shoes as she would have been for five pairs.

This is why I do what I do and why I often stay behind the scenes.  I rarely see the true impact of the grants that I write or the donations that I receive for organizations.  This experience truly opened my eyes and re-energized me.  Seeing the faces of those people that were helped is something that I will never forget.     

PS- I only wish that I had tiny feet so that I could fit into those shoes!  Man, were they cute!