Thursday, April 02, 2009

Letter from the Kansas City Rescue Mission

This is a letter we recently received from Julie Larocco, the development officer for the Kansas City Rescue Mission.


Dear Soles4Souls,

I can't begin to tell you how wonderful it was to experience the work of Soles4Souls firsthand here at the Kansas City Rescue Mission last Wednesday. Our case managers gave out 90 vouchers for free shoes and socks from 2:30 - 4:00 p.m. The crew hugged, encouraged and fitted men with shoes as though they'd been doing it all their lives.

A young crack addict who can barely function anymore is seated on a bench outside my office. He rocks back and forth humming. His feet are warm and dry.

An elderly man traded his incredibly taped and tattered sandals and filthy socks for brand new socks and shoes. As I drove into our parking lot last Thursday, I saw him asleep on a wall despite the cold. His feet were warm and dry.

Men in our Christian Community of Recovery now have the shoes they need to head to work sites, job interviews and legal appointments. They are proud of their new shoes; many have saved the boxes and store them carefully each night. On man laughed, "Now I can run fast and jump high!" Another said, "These are the first shoes I've had since I came here that actually fit."

Thanks you so much for the honor of receiving this gift. We appreciate your efforts and those of Adam Gregory and his crew. God bless you all in your ministry.

Reaching Up,
Julie Larocco
Development Officer

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