100,000 Pairs to Pakistan

Pakistan is a nation on the brink of several types of disaster. Monsoon rains have devastated its troubled northwest region near Peshawar, causing major flooding.

Here are some facts about the severity of the damage:

• The flood has taken the lives of over 1,500 people
• Over 1 Million people have been displaced from their homes
• The U.N. Children’s Fund estimates that 100,000 children are suddenly at risk of infection of cholera and gastro diseases, largely preventable with a decent pair of shoes.

We believe that this disaster becomes a call to action. Soles4Souls is dedicated to sending 100,000 pairs of new and gently worn shoes to Pakistan, but we need your help to make this happen.

How Can You Help?

1. Donate shoes - Find a drop off location near you or host a shoe drive for those affected in Pakistan.
2. Donate Funds -  We need monetary donations to help ship and distribute the shoes to those in Pakistan who need them most. For every $1 you donate, we will be able to provide a person with a pair of shoes.
3. Spread the word - Tell your friends how to get involved. Whether they are from your church, school, neighborhood or Facebook.

Soles4Souls has always provided aid where it is needed, regardless of political, religious, ethnic or any other criteria. Will you help us reach out to our Pakistani friends and show them that we care about their families?

Photo of the Week

We visited an orphanage on one of our recent Haiti trips. Children who had lost practically everything were given a new pair of shoes. As we walked through the orphanage, this little boy's smile captivated us. 

Britain's Next Top Model: The One With The Ishoos

Previously on Britain's Next Top Model, there were haircuts and tears and meh.

This week, we start with a go see challenge (a bit early, no?) for Miss Sixty where the girls go in one by one and strike a pose (apparently there's nothing to it). Everyone is predictably... rubbish. But for some reason, Julian from Models 1 (the agency that gets the winner) picks Susan out as "not being right". Amba got her knickers in a twist that people had copied her pose. Bitch, please - it wasn't a pose to be proud of in the first place.

Next to William Tempest. This at least involves some walking as well. Which they all still suck at. PRACTICE! How many freaking times do you have to be told?!?!!??

The girls get home to Charley and Grace waiting up for them like chastising parents. And to get rid of one of the girls based on the decision of the guys from Models 1 - Susan. Quite why she got picked out above some of the others is unclear given that there are other girls who were worse.

Anyway, onto a shoot with ElleBot with some RED products. ElleBot switches into HHPOF! mode to coach the girls through the posing and to get a better look at them as potential models. She doesn't seem very impressed by any of them which would be a fair assessment.

Yay house fight! Kirsty cooks a roast for everyone except Harleen who's a veggie but doesn't complain and Amba who's... difficult and complains a lot. Most of the girls seem to have a problem with her because she whinges a lot and comes across as aloof. There's always one....

Oh god now they've stolen the idea of posing for an ishoo - this time it's anti bullying. And whaddya know, they've all been bullied and want to raise awareness. Of course.*

Nicola Roberts pops up and is confronted by Delita telling her that they're related by friendship or something. To Nicola's credit, she smiles sweetly while clearly thinking Delita is a mental.

Tiffany's still bitching about her hair and uses that as her inspiration for her pain and anguish. Delita is apparently the only one who hasn't been bullied but she's still as rubbish as ever. Amelia gets told to stop moving and is a bit confrontational about having been told that before. Nicola didn't look impressed by such attitude.

Amazing how they all get matched to something that has affected them huh?

Judging now with Nicola as the guest judge. I bloody love her by the way.

ElleBot tells the girls that Susan's departure was a lesson in the cut throat nature of fashion... I'm still not convinced that it was done in the best way though.

Alisha's photos were fabulous. I'm liking her more now.

Julian accuses Nicola of being boring in a kind of bullying way. Way to understand the ishoo, Julien...

Charley picks up on Tiffany hating her hair.

Joy has a fab picture again.

Personality void Amelia is told again what she needs to do.

And total non surprise, there weren't that many good pictures this week.

Delita's not even in the bottom two?!?!!? What kind of crazy ass shiz is this?!?!?!! Instead it's down to Amelia and Harleen. Harleen gets sent home. This doesn't make sense in any sort of way.

Next week, chocolate! Carnaby Street! Beyonce!

Photo of the Week

On July 7th, a Soles4Souls team of 14 volunteers and staff traveled to Port-au-Prince Haiti to distribute shoes to almost 2,000 children and adults living in extremely difficult circumstances since the earthquake in January. When time allowed, we washed the children's feet as a way to say "we care about you."

Highlights from Barefoot Open House

We had a great turnout at our Barefoot Open House this week! We're thankful for all of our partners and supporters who took time to stop by and check out our new place. Here are a few photos from the event.

Trevett McCandliss from Footwear Plus Magazine with Soles4Souls employees Elizabeth and Isabelle. Trevett designed the shoe that was featured on the cover of our Five Year Anniversary Publication.

Bethani Hemphill adds another pin to our map of shoe distribution locations. She and Shaun Daugherty recently returned from a distribution trip in American Samoa.

Founder, Wayne Elsey entertains our partners from Cole Haan 

Thanks to Barefoot Wine for sponsoring the event and thanks to everyone who stopped by to see our new headquarters!

Britain's Next Top Model: The One With The Makeover DRAMZ!

Makeover Week. We all know this is the only episode that is guaranteed to provide the necessary drama.

It started off tamely enough with a challenge from "style icon" (since when?!?) Miquita Oliver to create an outfit from Rokit's warehouse. Oh to be able to rummage through there, right? I'm not entirely sure where this idea that models have to be able to put outfits together to be successful has come from. Surely that's what stylists are for? And no, don't think for a moment that Kate Moss does it all herself.

Delita rendered Miquita speechless. She's amazing in her ridiculousness. Anyway, Amba won the challenge with a fairly safe look, winning 5 extra minutes for her and 5 minutes taken away from Kirsty in the photoshoot.

Next the girls got to see ElleBot do a shoot for Marie Claire before she sent them on their merry way to Daniel Galvin to be transformed. We were promised less hair, more hair and blonde hair. Marvellous.

Kirsty got the blonde, Harleen got the length and everyone else got something in between. Tiffany got the chop. Know how we could tell? She spent ages saying how much she hates short hair and cue tears! ElleBot tried to justify it with bone structure and cute pixie-ness. You can tell this is her first season doing it as she's still being nice and patient. HHPOF! Miz Tyra has got to the the stage of just telling them to get on with it. Alisha got her ratty weave chopped out.

And oh my but isn't Charlotte beyond annoying. Harleen and Joy look much better. Tiffany looks fab - she has a rare face that can rock short or long hair. Though obviously she can't see that yet.

Post makeover and a shoot for Links of London. Delita and Joy failed to deliver variety. Charlotte may be annoying but she did think about what she was doing.

I'm so undecided about Susan. She's really bouncy and.... nice but I'm not convinced she's a model.

And so to judging. Which is really far too tedious. Julien either needs a new insult writer or to learn to read the autocue better. He's more wooden than his Cuprinol Man twin.

And so Rachelle was dismissed. Curious. There was no stand out bad photo this week though. Apart from Delita. Really what is she all about? What info does she have on them?

Next week, go-sees and SHOCK! AND DRAMZ! with an unscheduled elimination....

Letters from Haiti

Dear friends,
     The goal of my letter is to thank you for the shoes that you brought for us.
     I want to say thank you for the shoes that you brought for us and for helping measure us for the shoes. The shoes are magnificent, marvelous, and we are proud of you. You gave us shoes and you brought them all the way here. It is for that, that we wish to thank you from the bottom of our hearts. Thank you again for all you have done. I cannot find the words I must use to thank you.
   I hope you have a good year.
                             Your friend,

                             Josué

Subject: A thank you

From: Samuel

To: My friends

Very dear friends,

     Hello. Today I write you just to thank you for your good deeds toward me.
     My friends, I thank you a lot for having thought of me; even if I spend all year thanking you, it would not be sufficient to repay you. So I can only say thank you and thank you.
     And thanks be to God. That is all.

These are just a couple of the letters we received. The children were so grateful for the shoes and our lives were forever impacted by their stories, smiles, and love.

Will you join us in changing the world one pair at a time?

Want to see more pictures from our Haiti distribution or get more information about ways to help?