A Changing Footprints update

News about shoes

Elizabeth Gist

Changing Footprints shoe ministry at Trinity Presbyterian Church, 631 N. Harrison Street, Rushville will adopt new hours and a new day beginning in November.

Distribution for the winter months will be from 9 to 11 a.m. Saturdays.

“Trinity Presbyterian Church continues to do a wonderful job distributing shoes and taking drop-offs,” Changing Footprints founder Maureen Leisure said. “I live a half block from the church and last Monday I saw a man walking past my house with two pairs of shoes in his hands. He was holding them up and looking at them as he walked. I was so moved. Our thanks to Mick Saunders and the wonderful people that man the shoe ministry there.”

In further updates from Leisure:

n Ruth Houk returned from Atlanta a couple of weeks ago with a van full of new shoes that were donated by Imelda’s Shoe Store.

“They are perfect for ‘Dress for Success’ and some of them are low-heeled and will be good for overseas missions,” Leisure said. “Our thanks to Ruth and her wonderful daughter Melissa for hooking up with Imelda’s and bringing the shoes home.”

n Cinda Brown was gracious enough to deliver shoes for the sea container going to South Africa for Ambassadors for Children. Changing Footprints sent 435 pairs, most of them children’s shoes.

“Also, thanks to Carolyn Ronan for the trip to Goodwill,” Leisure said. “We still have several boxes that need to go and those will be ongoing, so we can do a little at a time.”

n The status of the Salvation Army building is still up in the air. The building is being reappraised and the sellers are in the process of lowering the price so that the property can be sold.

“We have had a very kind offer from Habitat for Humanity to use half of their warehouse if we need to move,” Leisure said. “We’re very grateful for the offer and the relief of knowing we will have somewhere to go if we need to.”

n Changing Footprints also recently participated in the Columbus MillRace as part of the Columbus Regional Hospital’s Wellness Initiative. Although rain threatened throughout the day, it held off until the last boxes were loaded on the trailer. The mission also made some wonderful contacts. The children’s museum in Columbus, known as Kids Commons, has offered to be a collection site for Changing Footprints and will concentrate on children’s shoes.

n Tabitha’s Mission has requested that perhaps Changing Footprints could provide shoes for the 300 families that they normally provide for at Christmas time.

“Usually, they ask the local factories to do shoe drives, but if we are able to provide the shoes they can ask the factories for money, food or other items that are needed,” Leisure said. “The nice thing about this is that people sign up ahead of time with shoe sizes, so we will be able to pull and stage shoes on a weekly basis until they are needed the week before Christmas. I’m so glad that we will be able to support our local community in this way too.”

n The RCHS Key Club has offered to do community service for Changing Footprints. As the mission is in desperate need of getting organized, this will be a great opportunity to do so. Key Clubbers will be meeting with Leisure and other Changing Footprints representatives at 3 p.m. Saturday at the Salvation Army building.

“We would be grateful for all the help we can get on that day, so mark your calendars and if you can help from 3 to 5 p.m. that would be greatly appreciated,” Leisure said.

n E-mails continue to pour in from all over the country, and Leisure admits to having trouble keeping up.

“This really needs to be a full-time job, but until we get our 501(c)(3) and organize our board we’ll have to operate the best we can with our weekend warriors,” Leisure said.



Rushville Republican staff writer Elizabeth Gist can be contacted at (765) 932-2222 or via e-mail at elizabeth.gist@cnhimedia.com. To add a comment visit our Website at www.rushvillerepublican.com.

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