There’s a new pair in town.
Wednesday night I met my competition dance partner, Chris Dawson, for our first practice. I had met Chris and danced with him once before at a Salsa social, but putting together a performance will be quite different from social dancing. Over the next few months, Chris will be teaching me the moves and putting them together into a choreographed performance. So if you are visiting Madison Ballroom, you might just notice this new pair on the dance floor! Speaking of new pairs, this is an excellent segue to introduce the Heels for HEALS program.

In 2005, a HEALS, Inc. staff member noticed many of the children wearing shoes too small, too large, or in such poor condition they were unfit to wear to school. Upon her concern, HEALS worked hard to create this beneficial and rewarding program for their patients. Now, not only does HEALS provide children with a free and caring medical home, they give away a brand new pair of athletic shoes to every child that visits the clinics for their yearly well-child checkup.

It’s easy to take things like a pair of shoes for granted. When I signed up for this dance gig, the first thing I did was buy a pair of dance shoes. In 2001 when I mistakenly signed up for, trained for, and ran a marathon, I bought a pair of running shoes. For me, wearing correct foot gear for an activity, shoes that fit correctly, has always been important and it is something I can afford to do: I have only one pair of feet, I don’t get a new pair of those, and they have to last and support me through a long and active life. It’s not something I put a lot of thought into, it is something I just do.

It wasn’t until I visited the HEALS headquarters that I really understood the difficulties some of these kids go through. Pam and Connie brought out a pair of shoes that a child visiting a HEALS clinic was wearing to her annual checkup. I sat there looking at what used to be a pair of shoes and tried to imagine having to go to school everyday wearing them. I thought back to times when my kids laughed about their favorite pair of soccer cleats that we taped up with duct tape because they liked them so much and didn’t want to give them up. We could afford cleats. We could afford a new pair of cleats. We could afford duct tape. The shoes I was looking at told a very different story: a young life with seemingly few choices.

I looked at those shoes and imagined walking into school on a cold day. I imagined walking into school on a wet day, and what it would be like to sit in a classroom with wet feet all day after that. I imagined how other kids might treat me with those shoes on, what they might say to me, what they might not say to me. I wore those shoes in my head for two days and it really changed how I thought about things. Though it might be easy for some of us to take such items for granted, I understand that we must never underestimate the power of something in someone’s life like new shoes that fit, and the HEALS staff points out that in this case it’s not just about the shoes!

Beyond the bright smile and boost in confidence a new pair of shoes presents to these kids, “Heels for HEALS” also serves as a much-needed incentive for the parents to bring their children to this important yearly visit at the HEALS clinics. The program enhances the relationship between HEALS and the family, instills a feeling of trust, and serves as a reminder for parents and children of the value of good health and hygiene.

To find out more about Heels for HEALS, visit their webpage.

By the way, today is my birthday and I can think of no better gift you could give than making a donation to HEALS!.

Thanks ahead for making a difference and sharing this message with others on Facebook, or Twitter