Our NEW Blog

Ok, this is our LAST blog move...

Please visit us at our NEW blog: www.solehope.com/blog/

(You will be able to comment easier on this blog-YAY!)

Camp Shoe Cutting Party

One of Sole Hope's most popular events are our shoe cutting parties.  Many individuals, civic groups, church groups and schools participate in these parties around the country every week.  We have just started working with summer camps as well.  This shoe cutting party took place recently at T Bar M Ranch camp in Texas.  

Here is a letter from the lady who organized this for the camp!
"Well today was our kick off day with letting campers make shoes.  We had 3 cabins (10 per cabin) give it a go today and we will have a few more try it out this week.  We will expand to more and more cabins as we have materials for.  I wanted to send you a few pics.  Fun to see campers put these together! Each cabin spent time praying for y'alls mission and for the kids that will get these shoes.  In addition we gave campers the option of cutting some material out and attaching it to a safety pin so that they can put it on something of theirs and be mindful of praying for y'all and the kids in africa. Gosh, I just love this!"

New Logo Shirts

Our new Sole Hope logo shirts are in!!  

Only, this time we added something to the back of the shirt.  We also have them available for children.

To get yours today click on the red STORE button on the upper right corner of this blog.  

George in the U.S.

George Magera, the "big man" in charge of Sole Hope Uganda is visiting the U.S. from Uganda and is coming to Asheville, NC!  He will be speaking on July 22nd at 6pm in the Ramble Biltmore Forest.  Join us in listening to him share his heart about what Sole Hope is doing in his village from someone who gets to interact with our shoemakers on a daily basis.  He will also talk about Ekubo Ministries, the ministry he and his wife are running to take care of the orphans, widows and others Sole Hope is putting shoes on.

5 Valley Springs Drive

Asheville, NC 28803

When entering the gate of the Ramble please tell the gatekeeper you are there with the Andy Stenberg event with Sole Hope.  From the gate house you will drive straight back into the pavilion area...you can't miss it!  If it is raining, or looks like it is going to rain please bring a blanket for an African style evening of sitting on the ground.  For those unable to sit on the ground we will have chairs.  Don't forget to invite your friends, we would hate for anyone to miss out on this amazing opportunity.  

A Letter from Kunda

A letter from Kunda with Sole Hope Zambia.  So wonderful!  Here is part of her letter to Sole Hope USA...

"The ladies have continued to make shoes and they are very excited about it.  They are not just excited but very very grateful that they now know how to make shoes, simple as they may appear but VERY VERY CONFORTABLE, CHEAP AND NICE.  You have been here Asher and you have seen how both kids and the adults walk bear foot causing a lot of ringworms both on the kids and adults.  Buying decent shoes for the widows and orphans at Wiphan IS A VERY BIG CHALLENGE so that the coming in of Sole-hope is SUCH A BIG AND SWEET BLESSING TO ALL OF US AT WIPHAN.

 WE WILL FOREVER BE VERY GRATEFUL.  

TONNES OF LOVE,

KUNDA FOR WIPHAN "

It is a great and fulfilling thing to do something for someone else.  It is more blessed to give than to receive.  That includes your time, money, possessions.

Until next time,

Asher

Industries for the Blind

It has been a wonderful and inspiring day for some of the Sole Hope team.  We have the privilege and opportunity to go to Industries for the Blind.  We wanted to talk about a possible partnership with them and Sole Hope.  For people who are blind or visually impaired in or around Winston-Salem, Asheville, and Mayaguez, Puerto Rico, IFB provides meaningful opportunities for employment, training, and support. They have a long history—beginning in 1936—of making high quality products on-time and on-budget primarily for the US government and military. They also provide optical services to our nation’s veterans.

From the moment I walked into the office of IFB I was captivated.  You could tell they were different.  They are not just different because of the services they provide, or the fact that over 75% of their staff are legally blind or fully blind...but there was just an overwhelming sense of pride and professionalism that lingered in the building.  From the first interactions with a visually impaired Director of First Impressions, to the warm smile and handshake as we walked the manufacturing warehouse, it was all received with great pride.  These people were proud to have a job!  And they should be!!  Many of the men and women there were doing things I don't think I can do with two seeing eyes.  As we walked the path through the warehouse lined by raised metal and yellow tape we were able to put a name with a face.  A product with a soul.  These products for the military commissary and troops were not manufactured in China by children too young to be working.  They are made right here in the U.S. by men and women who need jobs!  

This woman is blind and deaf!  She had the brightest smile and even reached her hand out to shake mine when she knew I was there.  She helping assemble staplers and was fantastic at it!  

This gentleman above was sewing the X onto the strap of an Army bag.

Above are just some of the clothing items the make for the U.S. Army.

Above was one of the most cheerful men I've ever met.  He was putting glue into tiny holes to aid in the assembly of a stapler.

Above a few gentlemen were sewing some of the final touches onto a poncho for the military.  These poncho liners will snap into a poncho and be used for warmth and even occasionally like a sleeping bag.

This woman had her aid dog Raven sitting by her feet as she packaged dog treats into packets of six nice and neatly.  Our guide joked that while Raven is relaxing his owner is hard at work and when he is working she is relaxing.  

This part just blew me away.  

These pattern pieces have just come out of a cutting machine that cut a certain number precisely.  Why this amazed me I'm not sure.  Maybe it is because I've spent hours cutting out patterns and just seeing the magnitude of work that this machine and those wonderful people can do...I was in AWE!

This was one of my favorite parts of the tour because it just cracked me up!  These two men who can't see are assembling kaleidoscopes.  Ironic, right?!  The funny part was the man pictured above leaned back and in a joking manner asked our guide Randy how these things work.  When Randy told him you look through the tiny hole and see colors and shapes the gentlemen said, "Oh.  I've never tried one of these."  His dry humor was refreshing and had us all laughing.

  It is days like today that seem to come in perfect rhythm with how I am feeling, that I am inspired beyond words.  I am beyond grateful for the opportunity to witness the pride and joy that comes with having a job at IFB.  It was these men and women who cannot see opened up my eyes to what Sole Hope can be.  There is so much out there do discourage us and many other worthy causes from pursuing what has been put on their heart.  But on days like today I remember that we can beat the odds and challenge the public to think outside the box

just like Industries for the Blind has done.  

Never say never.  And never say it can't be done.

Uganda Sewers Update

It is a good day when we get pictures and updates from one of our groups of men and women working in Africa.  This week we got several photographs from our Sole Hope men and women in Uganda.  These pictures make me smile.  They remind me why we do what we do here.

Thank you to our supporters for making this possible!

It is because of the generous donations of our our supporters that we could go into this very small village in the bush of Uganda and buy sewing machines for this group of committed individuals who are working hard to support their families.

I love how these women are working together.  I wish I could listen in on their conversations as they make shoes.  With the help of Paul and George they have gathered more supplies since we left and are making Sole Hope their own by making some minor changes to the shoe.

Below: Do you see the little hand in the lower left corner of this photograph?  The wonderful thing about Sole Hope in Africa and America is that is opens the door for mothers to work.  These women, like so many in America cannot afford to get child care while they go off to work.  Perhaps this child will be making shoes when they are older?

Above: Unlike in Zambia...in Uganda we have men working too.  We have one man who came to work as a Sole Hope shoe maker who was recently off drugs and had lost his whole family to bad decisions. He needed some sort of work to support his children, to get his family back...he was ready to work and to change his life!  The week Sole Hope got to his village he rose up as a leader when he jumped right in and did an excellent job making shoes!  The day the Sole Hope team was scheduled to leave we noticed something different in him.  It was not only that his head was held a little higher or that he had a smile on his face.  He had small children with him.  We asked George, the village leader, who did the children belong to.  They were this man's children!  They were being returned to him since he had a job!  

We are working on raising $4,500 for a building for the Sole Hope workers to go to work in.  As you can see, right now they are working on the ground and on small benches.  If you would like to donate to this building fund please donate on the right side of this blog and put in the memo "Uganda Building".

This is beautiful.  The hard work.  The diligence.  The excitement about work.

If you would like to spread the word about Sole Hope check out our NEW circle stickers.  You can either get yours in our website store...or by clicking the red store button in the upper right hand corner.  

Only $2 to help spread the word about Sole Hope

And just in case you have not seen it....check out our new website!!!!

www.solehope.org