More FFF Flips Arrive in Haiti!!

Lena, a cyber-friend, is in one of my online adoption groups. She just went to her kids' orphanage in Haiti and took shoes for the nannies!

We are so happy to help the nannies at Three Angels in Haiti! They were able to "shop" for flip flops! YAY!!

Thanks to Margie, Denise and Jennifer M. for providing the shoes for this trip!

Got What We Need!! THANK YOU!!!

I will be letting you know of new places to ship very soon! Keep doing your best to collect shoes, or like Denise, recruiting new FRIENDS!! This is an exciting adventure and I can't wait until we reach the 10,000 pair mark!

Need Some Flips!

Hey Flip Floppers! We are in need of about 30 women's size 9-10 flip flops. We have a family traveling to an orphanage in Haiti and the kids are all set for now, but the nannies are in need. This family would like to take 50 pair of shoes to the nannies. I have about 20 pair, but need more.

Please dig through your piles of flips and see if you have any that meet the bill (I know most of the ones we have collected are kid's sizes).

Email me at flipflopfleet@gmail.com if you have any and I will email back the address where you can ship your flips!

But please hurry! They LEAVE on December 12th! Thanks!

WOOHOO!! Over 1500 Pairs!!!

Margie and the folks over at South Suburban Evangelical Free Church have pushed us over the edge!! We have gone over 1500 pairs of shoes!! Hurray! Thanks to everyone who has contributed so far! Please pray for us as we search for new travel groups to partner with!

More Flips! More FRIENDS!!

We have some new Flip Flop Friends! Mike and Amanda Fauver of Omaha, NE purchased 67 pairs of flip flops from Steve and Barry's for $30! Mike is the brother of one of our board members, Denise! This is the first time we have had flips purchased at this store, so check to see if you have a Steve and Barry's in your town!

Thanks, guys!

Some FFF Flips in Haiti!!

Most of our shoes are in a shipping container that will take several weeks to get to Haiti, but a group going on a missions trip took some down as well. Here is our first picture of kids receiving Flip Flop Fleet Flips!! Thank you, Jesus, for this opportunity to help in some way!

Flip Flop Fleet Badges for Your Blog

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And thanks again for linking to us!

Our Biggest Intake to Date!! Profile on Sharla

Sharla, my sister-in-law, was buying a fan at Walgreens and they had them in the back because it was "off-season". This made her think to ask, "Do you have flip flops back there?" and the manager said they had THREE boxes!! Sooooo, a little negotiating and 10 minutes later, 146 pairs of flip flops made their way into her car! CONGRATS Sharla, on being the Flip Flop Friend with the biggest one day total!!

The Fleet Has Made It to YouTube!

Our Flip Flop Friends, Gus and Margie, put on a skit at their church to promote the Flip Flop Fleet during Missions Involvement Weekend. Check it out:



Thanks, guys!

Profile and Publicity!

Jennifer, a Flip Flop Friend over at katieminmin did a really nice post on the Flip Flop Fleet!

Thank you Jennifer! Let me know when you are at your number and we will see where your shoes should go! We appreciate the publicity and are excited about your friends getting involved, too!

You Can Keep Shipping!!

I got word from Cathie over at C3 Missions that they needed a second semi container for supplies for Haiti! What a good problem to have! There is a team in Haiti right now and they took some of our shoes, but the rest are on the semi.

If you want to ship your shoes, please ship (as soon as you can for the semi) to:

C3 Missions International
Attn: Cathie Simpson
3000 NW 50th Street
Kansas City, MO 64150

Don't forget, if you use the services of a UPS store, it is trackable, there is free insurance (up to $100), and explain to the owner that you are shipping shoes to an organization that is providing relief for the victims of flooding in Haiti. They may give you a discount on the shipping.

There are teams going down to Haiti in November, too, so you can ship for that group, too, if you aren't ready yet. Once again, if you want to hold on to them for now, you are welcome to do so and we will work to hook you up with a local church or group in your area traveling to a country in need.

I have said it before, but I am thrilled that we can help in some tangible way. Imagine not owning even ONE pair of shoes. We have so much, don't we? Let's remember our blessings!!

More Blessings!

It is interesting...things got a little quiet for a few weeks and then all of a sudden I have had five emails in two days with 157 more pairs of shoes coming in! Some of the stores where success has been found recently are: Shopko, Walmart, JoAnn Fabrics and Target. I just saw on Old Navy.com that they have a few select colors of flip flops on clearance for .99 each. If you have found discounted or clearanced flips, crocs, and sandals at other stores, please leave a comment. When I found some nice boys' slip on sandals tonight at Wal-mart in Madison, WI, a woman asked me what all the shoes were for. I told her and she said, "God's going to bless you," and I said, "He already has!"

WOOHOO!!! Over 1000 Pairs!!!

Megan from Redlands, CA, is the Flip Flopper who pushed our total over 1000 pairs! Thanks Megan and YAY!! She has connections with Mozambique and Mexico, too! :) We have collected 1015 pairs in 33 days!

We Need Ya Baby!

We are 23 pairs of shoes away from 1000 pairs!! Come on, wouldn't YOU like to be the one to put the flip-flop-o-meter over the edge?

Don't forget to check thrift stores for quality, gently used tennies, sandals and flips. I have found quite a few brand new flips here, too (my only summer-shoe option now that it is FALL in MINNESOTA).

Several shipments have been sent to C3 Missions in Kansas City, where they are filling a semi with supplies for Haiti flood victims. The Fleet has had shipments from Minnesota, Florida, California and Nebraska. If you are still planning on shipping shoes, click here to see what we need ya to do. Please try to have your package to C3 by October 15th.

Profile on...South Suburban Evangelical Free Church, Women's Bible Study

This is my friend Margie. We have been friends for 26 years (yipes!) She and I are "lifers" which means that we have been friends for so long that we will always be friends - we joke that we will live in the same retirement complex someday!

Margie, who has recently agreed to be one of our board members, took the Flip Flop Fleet idea to her Bible study group at her church. This is the first time that they have completed a service project together. The goal was 50 pairs of shoes by December, and in a few short weeks they have collected 84 pairs of shoes! By OCTOBER.

Here is the Women's Bible Study group from South Suburban Evangelical Free Church in Apple Valley, MN. YAY LADIES! THANK YOU!!

This wasn't enough for them, though! They have now taken the idea to their entire church.

The topic of their study is "Bearing Fruit in God's Family" and they thought it would be great to exemplify what it means to bear fruit by identifying ourselveswith Christ and caring about what He cares about - People! Hebrews 10:24

Margie says it so well here..."Haiti's needs go way beyond 'shoes' but this tangible, needed gift will wonderfully reflect the love of God to these children'.

AMEN!

The Fleet is a MONTH old Today!

And look how much we have been blessed!! 888 pairs of shoes collected and 434 pairs shipped! God is good!

Where to Ship Your Flips

Hello All,
Thank you for being patient while we get our bearings. Or shall I say our "footing" :)
There are still two options for you. Ship or store. If you choose to ship, we do not have a fund to assist you with these expenses, please understand.
There is an organization in Kansas City called C3 Missions that is filling a semi RIGHT NOW for Haiti. They will drive the semi to Miami and then it goes over to Haiti on a ship. The semi is about 3/4 the way full. If you choose to ship your shoes please send them to:

C3 Missions International
Attn: Cathie Simpson
3000 NW 50th Street
Kansas City, MO 64150

Cathie asked us to have the shipments there by October 15. If by chance the semi is full before that date and/or shoes arrive after, they have several teams traveling in the near future. PLEASE do the following when shipping your shoes.

1) For flip flops, if there is already an elastic or plastic ring holding the flips together, please remove the little plastic hanger.
2) Please email me when you ship your shoes and let me know the amount of shoes sent.
3) Please enclose a note with your shoes saying that you are with the Flip Flop Fleet

If you don't have all your shoes yet or don't want to spend the money on shipping, feel free to to just wait for now.

Here is a video of Mike Fox, Founder of C3 Missions on his recent visit to Haiti. They are very short videos:



Here is the link to the orphanage (not a C3 Orphanage)that was destroyed that is referred to in the first story:



Please continue to keep Haiti in your prayers! Before any raindrops fell, any storm hit, and before any flooding occurred this was already a destitute and desperate country. I am so glad we can help in some way. Thank you Flip Flop Friends and Fans.

We are just getting started!

Profile on a Peapod!

I was surfing around from blog to blog the other night looking at some new blogs. I found a few that caught my eye and I left comments. I decided to leave the address for the Flip Flop Blog on them, as who knows? Maybe someone will be moved to go check it out and see what we are all about. Sure enough, someone did! A new (and very efficient) Flip Flop Friend! Cris Peters and her girls from Sorrento, FL. She tells it better than I ever could, so please FLIP on over to her BLOG Thank you Cris and thank you to your sweet girls! We are going to have your shoes go to Haiti via C3 Missions International. They are in the process of filling a semi in Kansas City with items for those affected by the storms and we are happy to work with them.

Flip Flop Friends and Fans!!

First of all, we have more FANS than I can even list so THANK YOU so much for supporting us with your prayers! You are a blessing to us, and we can feel your prayers as we have gone from 203 pairs of shoes to 774 pairs in just one week! We feel like things will slow down a bit as the summer shoes are being clearanced out (my brother chuckled when I told him this, saying, "You never know!" ) Now we will just shift our focus to tennies! Don't forget to stop in at local thrift stores for quality, gently-used sandals, flips and tennies! If we have more southerners sign on, I am sure you can purchase summery shoes all year 'round, but here in Minnesota, the well is running dry!

Here are the FRIENDS I already posted:

The Flynn Family - Boulder City (Las Vegas), Nevada
Denise Runde and family - Omaha, NE
Chuck Hujet - Appleton/Green Bay, WI
Nichole Cheeney - Phoenix, AZ
Holly Kindbom - Denver, CO
Mindy Fitzgerald - Houston, TX

Here are the FRIENDS that have joined us in the past few weeks:

Margie Broman - Eagan, MN
Laurie Best - Columbia Hts, MN
Laura Hayden - Troy, MI
Jennifer Miles - Fallsington, PA
Donna Henderson - St. Louis, MO
Heather Walvoord - Austin, TX
Carlee Russell - Riverside, CA
Charity White - Lenexa, KS

That is 14 FRIENDS in 13 states.

If I missed anyone (oooh, I am sorry!) please email me at flipflopfleet@gmail.com
I was also contacted by some that I didn't list as a FRIEND as I wasn't sure if that is what they wanted, so if you fall into that category, let me know.

I know it isn't an accident that people have "found" the blog. This is yet another blessing!

Woo Hoo!

We just flipped over the 500 pair mark!

Our First Bit of Publicity!

Thanks to BeCentsAble for posting about the Flip Flop Fleet and thanks to Emily who let them know and thanks to Jenny for posting the blog that Emily read!

AND Whitney, who also posted on her blog after reading Jenny's blog!

Please Flip Flop On Over...

...to this blog. What a lovely post, Jenny, thank you!

Profile on...Denise Runde and her Walgreens Adventures!

Denise Runde is a co-worker of mine from Omaha, NE. We have worked together for nearly 10 years and she is a GEM!! She is DEFINITELY the most enthusiastic Flip Flopper out there! She has personally collected 158 pairs of shoes! She makes nothing seem impossible. I could try to explain the GREAT idea that Denise had but here she is in her own words -

OK, I just got the best deal on some flip flops. I called around to my local Walgreens to see who still had some left! Well, I went to one and I talked to the manager to see if she wanted to "make a deal" well she did. They have flip flops that are $1.99 and are 75% off that price. I told her I would buy all the $1.99 shoes if she would sell them to me for $.25 a pair she said "YES". I was soooo excited. I purchased 43 pairs for $11.00. I would suggest calling around to your local Walgreens to see if they have any summer shoes left. They are just wanting to get rid of them!!!!! Good luck and I'll be going to a few more Walgreens tomorrow "to make a deal" Happy shoe hunting :


So I followed her lead and stopped by a Walgreens over lunch. I was able to buy 67 pairs of flip flops for .25 each. I also asked about the crocs. The manager said she could only go as low as $1.50. I said that we really needed to keep it to $1.00 and she said ok! So I got 27 pairs of crocs, too!

If you are willing, please stop by your local Walgreens (or two). Ask for the manager and explain that we are collecting shoes for kids in need. Then tell them we have worked with Walgreens locations in Minnesota, Wisconsin, Iowa, Nebraska and Colorado. The woman today told me I was helping her out, too. They need to get the rest of their Halloween stuff out! BUT, as Denise told me, THE TIME IS NOW! THE FLIP FLOPS ARE ON CLEARANCE NOW!

Denise is also excited about what her boys, Jackson and Sam, are learning from this. Aren't they adorable?

Her husband had to get on the roof to take this picture, and this isn't even all the shoes! You rock, Rundes!! Way to go making this a family affair!!

Profile on...Holly Kindbom

Since Holly is obviously a very adventurous person, she didn't even hesitate to jump on board the Fleet!

She was also was one of the quickest respondents - within a week of joining our adventure she had already purchased a ton of shoes! She is now up to 120 pair!! I know her through Entertainment, where we both work, but she is based in Colorado.

Yeah, Holly!! THANK YOU!!

Who Are We?

We are Lee and Dawn Shelton, the founders of the FLEET. We are excited about the possibilities of this endeavor and eager to get it going! Like one of our new FRIENDS Carlee said, our wish is that no parent has to choose between feeding their children or getting them shoes. Perfectly said, Carlee, thank you. We want to start with shoes for Haiti, as that is where our children are, and we have a number of contacts there. We are not limiting ourselves to providing shoes to just Haiti. If there is a group going on a missions trip somewhere and would like to take some shoes, we will work with them!


Here are our kids, Philippe and Patricia (pronounced pa-tree-see-a), pictured at their orphanage in Port-au-Prince. We are also waiting for a baby girl from China.


Here is the first picture of Flips and Sandals - this is 45 pair. The dogs are excited about it!! We have six new Flip Flop Friends and a handful of Fans, so I will be posting on this soon!

Do We ONLY Want Flip-Flops?

The answer is no. Actually, we are collecting any kind of sandals, any size. We are also collecting gently used shoes, as well, especially with how quickly kids grow out of sizes!

Here are some pictures of some of the shoes that we would like to collect in addition to flip flops. These all are used shoes, actually.

If you have any questions feel free to email us at flipflopfleet@gmail.com!

OLD NAVY Flips Flops on CLEARANCE

Carlee and Jennifer M, from Bloggyland, have found the FLEET! They both emailed to let me know that OLD NAVY has flips on clearance. Carlee also mentions that if you spend $50, shipping is free. Yay!

The girls flips are, shall we say, more affordable than the boys flips on clearance, for some reason. But we are short on boys flips so far and boys could wear these, too, dontcha think? What makes flips boy flips vs. girl flips? Maybe just avoid more "girly" colors and we can outfit more boys, too. Now I know that the color thing isn't that important in orphanages and villages, because I have seen pictures of boys in pink shirts many times, but I'm just sayin'. Maybe they would rather have green or blue! :)

Also, all sizes are ok. Even some adult sizes here and there are great. At our kids' orphanage there are a lot of older kids, and the nannies and workers need shoes, too. Plus, like I said, our goal is to reach beyond Haiti to wherever a need is found. Things are moving and shaking! More to report soon!!