The joy of giving...

Whoever came up with the phrase, "the joy of giving" really knew what they were talking about. There is no greater high than the feeling I receive every time I make a delivery to a family or child in need. So I'm starting this blog to share a little of that joy with you in hopes that you will find your own way to pay it forward or join me in my quest to give children hope for a future beyond the impoverished life they are in.

I'll begin by telling you a little about myself and how this journey started. I'm married with two children. As a mother, I discovered what a blessing our children are and how I would do anything to care for and protect my kids and to ensure they have the best I can provide for them. Seems pretty simple... love them, feed them, shelter them, and provide them with an education so they can go on to lead their own happy lives. (and hopefully give me grandchildren someday :) ) But this formula isn't so simple for many families who are homeless, suffering from job losses, disabilities, or just struggling to make ends meet. I felt compelled to help those families who can't help themselves. But how? What's my mission?

The idea of Wear 'n Share first came to light for me when I was at the Pediatrician's office with my children and I read an article about a teacher who said she had students who couldn't attend her school because their parents couldn't afford shoes for them to wear. Are you kidding me? If we don't find a way to keep these kids in school, how will we ever break the cycle of poverty for them? But what can I do? I'm just a mom, just one person. Can I make a difference? YES! I have 2 children with closets full of clothing and shoes that no longer fit them. There's 2 children's lives my family can personally affect. We can change the lives of 2 kids in this world! How cool is that?! And then I got to thinking about all the other moms with bags of clothing in their basements that their kids aren't wearing anymore. If I could get them to donate their items we could affect thousands of children's lives. Think of the difference we could make if we would all come together to help!

So I sent out email blasts to all my friends and family and told them to tell all their friends and family that I had this idea and I needed their help. It won't cost anything, just give me what you're not using anymore and I'll find a way to get it to the families who need it the most. That was step 2. Once the donations started coming in, I started contacting schools, churches, counselors, organizations, anyone who worked with or helped children in need to let them know Wear 'n Share is here to help. And once people started doing a little research and realized I was a legitimate ministry, the calls started flooding in, and the more the calls came the more the donations came. I'm so grateful to live in area where we have such a giving community. There are so many people who want to help and didn't know how and now they can. I had the vision, but it's the people who keep this dream alive and make it happen. The generous giving spirit of our Clarence and Williamsville and East Amherst community partnered with all the teachers, pastors, counselors, social workers, etc who work with the families in need directly and want to help them and make their lives better.

Wear 'n Share was created in June of 2009 and in only 7 months I'm working with over 25 churches, schools, counselors, and organizations to reach families in need. I currently service about 8-10 families a week. I have about 30 volunteers who make this all possible through their giving spirit by donating their time to help me sort donations and make deliveries. This ministry has grown so rapidly that I'm already in need of new space! I'm currently operating out of the basement of Get Heeled which is located at 6000 Goodrich road in Clarence Center. It's an ideal drop off location as it's so convenient and folks can drop off their donations anytime during store hours Monday-Saturday from 10:00AM-6:00PM and Thursdays they're open until 8:00PM. Unfortunately, however, the space is just too small for me to continue to grow and reach more families in need. I could be doing so much more if I had the room. I'm not a non profit, just doing on my own so I can't afford to buy a building, pay taxes, utilities, etc. which makes finding room a little tricky.

But that's not why I started this blog, although if anyone with a BIG generous heart would like to donate a building I would definitely consider it. :) My purpose in this is to have an opportunity to share some of my amazing experiences with you as they occur. Maybe hearing about some of the families helped through Wear 'n Share will change your life the way it has changed mine. I definitely hope some of the wonderful people who have shared their time or given donations to this cause will read this from time to time so they will hear about some of the families they have personally touched through their kindness. I can't wait to share the joy with you.

So to peak your interest for the next time you visit, I'll leave you with one of my personal favorite stories so far.... (Of course I will always leave out names in my experiences to maintain confidentiality. ) In November I was contacted by a teacher who wanted to help a woman out who worked at her school. She and her husband have 3 grown children of their own, with one still living with them at home. A neighbor of theirs dropped off her 3 young boys:2 year old, 4 year old, and 6 year old at her home one day and said she couldn't care for them anymore, and asked them to take them. These boys had lived a difficult life in their few short years so far with a father that encouraged 2 of the boys to abuse their brother since he came from another father. He abandoned them a few months prior to their mother dropping them off at her neighbor's house. This is obviously a tragic situation for these boys, and this wonderful mother and her husband who were well beyond a point in their life to care for 3 young boys suddenly had them. The outpouring of support from our community was astonishing. Not only did we have enough clothing to cover them for 2 years, but we had beds and car seats and toys and even a bike, I could go on and on. My garage was filled when they came in their van to pick everything up. They had officially adopted the boys just in time for Thanksgiving. I'm quite certain it was a holiday they will never forget with so much to be thankful for. The mother's eyes were filled with tears and the father couldn't even look at me as I know he was so touched. The kids were jumping up and down. It was an experience that I will always treasure, but what I remember the most was my conversation with the mother. I was telling her how wonderful it was that she was taking these boys into her home and giving them the family and a second chance at a happy life. I was so touched by her selflessness. And she so proudly told me, it wasn't her that made the decision, it was her 20'ish year old son. He had gotten home from his night shift job and woke her up in the middle of the night and said, "Mom, we have to keep these boys." She said, "Let's sleep on it and talk about it in the morning." But the next day he stayed true to his decision and the rest is history. She was beaming with pride when she told me and I told her she raised quite a son. She just looked down with tear-filled eyes. And that's exactly why I do this, for moments like that one.

I can't wait to share more. Thank for listening!