From the desk of the Prez.

Haitian Releif Item Suggestions

Food: Spam, Peanut Butter, any easy open can goods

Pull Tab opening eliminates the need for a can opener

Hygene: Soap, Toothpaste, Toothbrushes, Shampoo

Medicine: Pain Releivers

Clothes: No winter items

Shoes: I imagine anything not beat to trash

We will take in donations for the next 2 meetings. One of the Church's in Norwich is a collection point. I wil find out which one.

What can you do to help?

Shoes for Crews is donating approximately $180,000 worth of footwear to help Haitian Relief Efforts

West Palm Beach, FL — January 18, 2010 — Shoes For Crews is mobilizing a Relief Effort Campaign to help the children and families in Haiti suffering from the recent earthquake.

Shoes for Crews is donating approximately $180,000 of sneakers, boots, and steel toe footwear to help the needy citizens of Haiti.

Matthew K. Smith, CEO of Shoes For Crews, stated, "This tragic earthquake has unleashed unimaginable heartbreak and loss on that very poor nation. Shoes for Crews is here to help. We have already sent a container of shoes and boots worth approximately $180,000 to two organizations that will help distribute them in Haiti."

Smith also stated, "This tragedy hits home for us, because we have many Haitian employees who have suffered deeply because of this tragedy. We wanted to help them through this crisis by being actively involved supporters of the Relief Effort and do what is best for the Haitian people."

Stanley R. Smith, Chairman of Shoes For Crews, stated, "Besides the footwear donation, Shoes For Crews basically bought the entire supply of childrens clothing from the local Goodwill store and SFC employees generously donated food and clothing as well. Our employees then spent a day loading up a truck with over 2,000 pieces of children clothing, over 200 pairs of mens shorts, over 200 adult t-shirts, over 100 cases of bottled water (2400 bottles) and over 300 cans of soups and other food items."

Shoes For Crews, based in West Palm Beach, Florida, is an international manufacturer and direct-distributor of slip-resistant footwear to the foodservice, hotel, supermarket, healthcare and industrial marketplace. Their products help prevent slip and fall accidents in some of the leading companies in the world, including McDonalds, Burger King, Chick Fil-A, MGM Mirage, Starwood Hotels, and Frito Lay amongst others.

Shoes For Crews will be donating the footwear to two different organizations:

Rene Joseph, the operator of the Loving Hands Ministry will be receiving some of the footwear, plus all of the clothing, food, and water supplies. They run orphanages in Haiti and are sending daily flights, flown by local charter pilots, and shipping containers of relief materials to Haiti. His organizations efforts will be focused on helping children in Haiti, but of course, they will also help families as well.

We are also supplying the majority of the footwear to Soles4Souls [www.soles4souls.org] for their Haiti Relief Program. Soles4Souls is a charity specifically focused on providing footwear to people in need.

Photos: