Flip Flop Fleet

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2011-08-22T20:22:00.000-07:00

Nearly 500 pairs of shoes on their way to Haiti!!

2011-03-07T14:53:00.000-08:00

Thrilled to have a new local connection who has groups traveling to Haiti all Spring! Philippe and I packed up 480 pairs yesterday and will packing more up soon!

Anyone Traveling?

2010-10-27T11:51:00.000-07:00

Please let us know if you know of any church groups or individuals going to a developing country and can take some shoes to those who need them. We have a good supply right now and we want them on FEET instead of in STORAGE. Blessings!

Flip Flops on Sale!

2010-10-04T07:04:00.000-07:00

Click here to go to Old Navy online and see their flips on sale. These are just $1.49. Watch your Walgreens for sales/clearance and ask the manager for a deal. We have gotten flips for .25 a pair. We are also still accepting any used shoes in decent condition. Please, no rips or holes. Thanks for your help!

Update

2010-09-23T21:06:00.000-07:00

We are way behind in posting but luckily shoes and skivvies are still coming in and going out! If you see shoes on sale (flip flops are being clearanced out RIGHT NOW) please consider us and our efforts to get shoes to children (and adults) who need desperately need them. We have shoes heading to Haiti this month! YAY! We were blessed with a donation to help cover shipping costs, too!

The Second Annual Undy 500 is Underway!

2010-05-30T06:15:00.000-07:00

We're off to a late start this year (starting instead of ending on race day), but we're going to do it anyway. Like last year, our goal is to collect 500 undies (tops or bottoms) in the next three weeks. Last year we collected 411. Can we reach the 500 mark this year?

Feel free to post this on your blogs and Facebook pages and email your friends. You can also leave a comment on this blog or mail us at flipflopfleet@gmail.com with your numbers, and we will figure out where those skivvies should go.

Thanks in advance for your help!

The Flip Flop Fleet Makes the News!

2010-04-07T19:30:00.000-07:00

Sorry for the lack of updates, but our family has grown since we last posted. You can imagine how busy we've been!

Our two oldest kids came home from Haiti much sooner than we anticipated because of the earthquake. Everything they went through inspired our friend's daughter to make the Flip Flop Fleet the focus of her project for school. The following is a report that ran on Twin Cities Live, a local news program:

We hope to have more news to post soon.

It's Our Flip Flop Anniversary!

2009-09-08T18:47:00.000-07:00

September 6 marked our one year anniversary and I have to say, managing this from our humble home and with minimal time and resources, we feel so blessed by the wonderful things that have taken place over the last year and by the many people who have done so much for others. Over 3,000 pairs in a year! Here's how Olivia feels about it!

There are a few things that have changed - I simply can't keep up on who is an "official" flip flop "friend" or "fan" and the bottom line is that shoes (and undies) get to the people who need them, so it really doesn't matter whether someone donates 50 pair or ONE pair. I think that anyone who has been a part of this mission in the past year will agree with what this verse says, "In all things I have shown you that by working hard in this way we must help the weak and remember the words of the Lord Jesus, how he himself said, ‘It is more blessed to give than to receive.’” Acts 20:35

I am behind on blogging my updates! I promise to get caught up soon! We have some exciting stories to share, including shoes that went to India, to land on the feet of children who have never owned or worn shoes before.

Please keep your eyes open for deals - this is the time of year that shoes start getting clearanced out. Last year we had great luck with Walgreens - they marked their flips down to .49 and when we asked if we bought them all if they would give them to us for .25, time after time, city after city and state after state they agreed. Don't bother with Target as the management does not have the authority to reduce the price. If anyone else finds a deal, please leave a comment!

AMAZING!!

2009-07-02T23:03:00.000-07:00

A recent Flip Flopper, Stacie, came across our blog and decided that not only did she want to get on board, she wanted to get her church involved! She set a goal of 400 pair in 40 days. Amazingly, the total brought in was 1134!! This ALMOST doubles what we had over eight months of work. God gets all the credit in Stacie's eyes, but we also know that she was totally dedicated to the cause! Thanks, Stacie, for your amazing efforts and thanks be to God for the many ways he has blessed this endeavor and the people involved. If you would like to talk to your church about a Flip Flop Drive, please email us!

Bra Recycling in the U.K.

2009-07-01T06:59:00.000-07:00

(Click here if you can't see the embedded video.)

See? We aren't the only ones doing this! In case you were wondering, the Flip Flop Fleet isn't just collecting shoes. We're also collecting bras and underwear for those living in developing countries. Just something to keep in mind the next time you go through your closet.

We Need Shoes!

2009-06-05T19:31:00.000-07:00

Can you please help? We are running out of shoes. I know there are some out there who have a collection of them - could you tell me who you are and how many you have? We have people going to Guatemala, India and Haiti soon and I need your help. We are taking more that just flip flops - sandals, tennies, and dress shoes of all sizes for both genders.

It is garage sale season and I have been able to get some shoes for free (just tell them what you are doing and ask if they are willing to donate them) or for very little. Kids grow out of shoes so quickly that often they are in excellent shape. There are often adult shoes in great shape, too. There was a time where we had a ton of shoes and needed ways for shoes to get to other countries and now we have sources and a dwindling supply of Resources.

Pleeeeeeeeeeaaaaaaaaaase won't you help?

Final Counts for the Final Lap

2009-05-31T17:11:00.000-07:00

OH MY WORD I am so behnd but it has been mayhem around here with the referral, a baby shower, friends in town for the baby shower, work deadlines, etc.

Here are the final numbers for the UNDY 500. It is kind of a bummer - we were close but missed our goal of 500 by 89. The grand total was 411. Thanks to everyone who contributed! We are continuing our collection of these items, so let me know if you have any!!

Update!

2009-05-24T20:19:00.000-07:00

I am waaaay behind here...didn't blog that Old Navy had flip flops for $1 yesterday...haven't blogged our Undy 500 updates...BUT I have a really good excuse!! We FINALLY got our referral from China for Olivia Xiu Di Shelton! It has been a crazy couple of days! WOOHOO! Here she is:I will be posting a final Undy 500 count soon. I don't think we made our goal, but I have a few people getting numbers to me by end of day today, so we will see. For more pictures and info on Olivia, click HERE. Thanks for all the emails on Old Navy! Sorry I dropped the ball this time...

We're Cruisin'

2009-05-19T20:43:00.000-07:00

Ok, folks! We got 35 more items in the last 24 hours! We have 28 pairs of undies and 7 bras added! Thanks and keep 'em comin'!! We don't want to crash and burn!!
We have had a variety of questions - here are some answers:

We will take any decent quality used bras or undies. We have still been receiving feedback that this is strange (the USED part). I will say this again, PEOPLE NEED UNDERWEAR. We are talking about the poorest of the poor. We are blessed to have made some wonderful connections with people who work with and serve the poorest of the poor. At the Flip Flop Fleet, our mission is to serve the poorest of the poor.
Mens, womens, kids. ALL sizes.

No to g-strings, but thank you anyway :)
We will take new skivvies, of course!
We will take items from the dollar store (thanks for that tip - I didn't know they had these items) Any skivvies are better than no skivvies.

We don't need your items sent to us by Sunday, we just want to know your "counts"

I will leave you with this picture. This is what the "mall" looks like in Haiti.

The Undy 500 Needs Ya!

2009-05-18T20:55:00.000-07:00

Our count is s-l-o-w-l-y growing...but we need more! We would like to make our goal of 500 items by May 24, race day.

We have received 20 more bras and 35 more undies

Here is our current count: 133 bras and 162 undies

This brings our Undy 500 total to 295 - EEK! Without your help we won't make it! We need 205 more items by Sunday to make our goal...I bet you have items in your own dresser that you don't wear...if not, can you hit the thrift store or Target? Please help us make our goal. If you have items, please leave a comment or email us. THANKS!

More Flips Delivered in Malawi!

2009-05-12T21:27:00.000-07:00

Our new friends, Max and Cay, sent us these pictures of some girls and their headmaster at a school in Malawi, receiving our flip flops! We just love to see this! We are grateful to all those collecting and delivering shoes!

Thank you!

The Second Lap...

2009-05-10T21:09:00.000-07:00

59 more bras and 76 more undies!

So totals are 113 bras and 127 undies.

THAT means that we have 240 items so far to a goal of 500! THAT means that we only need 260 more and we have 14 more days to do it! Race day is May 24! Vroom, Vroom! So jump in the driver's seat and let's keep the "drive" going!

The First Lap...

2009-05-07T20:50:00.000-07:00

First day totals: 54 Bras and 51 Undies!! Woohoo!!

Gear Up for the Undy 500!

2009-05-07T07:25:00.000-07:00

Vroom, vroom! Let's come together for the UNDY 500! We want to collect 500 undies (tops or bottoms, if ya catch the drift) by race day, SUNDAY, MAY 24. See the post below if you have missed what we are up to!

Feel free to post this on your blogs and email your friends! Email us at flipflopfleet@gmail.com with your numbers and we will figure out where those skivvies should go!

Introducing...

2009-05-05T18:33:00.000-07:00

We are introducing a new division of the Flip Flop Fleet - The Skivvy Divvy. What is this, you ask? Well, it’s an opportunity to clean out your closet or your underwear drawer while helping those in developing countries!

After traveling to Haiti, we learned that there is another great need - UNDIES. A few of my friends have wrinkled up their noses at me when I tell them that we are going to start collecting underwear, but the thrift stores sell them, so if it's good enough for the thrift stores, it is good enough for us. Our goal is to collect new or nice quality used undies and bras of all types and sizes for the poorest of the poor in developing countries.

EVERYONE has a pair that rides up on them that they just don’t wear and EVERY woman has at least one bra that is in the drawer that they NEVER wear. Instead of tossing them, divvy your skivvies to The Skivvy Divvy!

So, as you are doing your spring cleaning, if you come across any of these items or if you feel led to buy some, please email us at flipflopfleet@gmail.com. As always, if you purchase flip flops, please email us so we can add your total to our shoe counter and keep track of who has what. We have more and more people going to countries where shoes and undies are greatly needed. We need you on board!

Flip Flops arrive in Ethiopia and Malawi!

2009-05-02T22:08:00.000-07:00

A family adopting from Ethiopia took some of our flip flops when they went to get their daughter! Here is a quote from them: "The staff at the orphanage were SO THANKFUL for those shoes. They just couldn't stop thanking us enough. I tried to explain who these flip flops were really from, but I don't think they got it. Those kids were in DESPERATE need of these shoes. So feel good about that."

We met a lovely Australian couple in Haiti and now they are in Malawi. They took shoes with them, too. Cay helped me hand out shoes in Haiti and was very helpful!

Here is a quote from Cay: The folk on the steps showing their flip flops are the staffers at the Lydia Foundation in Zomba, Malawi and they send their heartfelt thanks as do the 3 orphan girls.
Please, take just a moment and click on this picture to enlarge it to really see the expressions on these happy faces! Acts 20:35 states,"In all things I have shown you that by working hard in this way we must help the weak and remember the words of the Lord Jesus, how he himself said, ‘It is more blessed to give than to receive.'" Indeed!

New Connections, New Blessings!

2009-04-10T20:09:00.000-07:00

I don't believe in coincidences. We met some amazing people in Haiti and made some great connections with people who are excited to get flip flops to those in great need. Here is one of the wonderful women we met at the Port-au-Prince airport on our way home. Her name is Michelle Lacourciere and she is the Director for the Sirona Cares Foundation. If you click HERE you can see what Sirona Fuels is doing for countries like Haiti. She was kind enough to do a post about the Flip Flop Fleet on her blog and she is excited about taking flip flops with her when she heads to Haiti in May! Here is a quote from her email that put a smile on my face from EAR TO EAR!! "I will gladly accept whatever you can send to me and will happily put them on the feet of beautiful children."

Another interesting point is that Sirona Fuels partners with C3 Missions, who we donated flips to after the flooding last fall. We plan to continue to work with C3 in the future as well.

Thank you, Lord, for blessing us with partnerships like this one. We know that meeting Michelle and her lovely family was not an accident.

Blessings Abound!

2009-04-06T22:13:00.000-07:00

Please click HERE for a wonderful post by our online friend, Cara. Lee found this blog before we ever knew about Patricia and Philippe. I remember him saying as he read their posts, "Hmmm, maybe we should adopt from Haiti some day!

Thanks Cara and Greg, for educating us on Haiti, for sharing this great shopping story and for 61 more pairs of flip flops!

1600 Pair!

2009-03-30T18:32:00.000-07:00

Here at the Flip Flop Fleet, our shoe count has been stuck at 1593 pairs of shoes for months!Jennifer over at God Sees and Protects decided enough was enough and got us 7 more pair so we now have an even 1600! Thanks, Jennifer!

Flip Flops in Haiti!!!

2009-03-29T17:54:00.000-07:00

We brought 200 pairs of flip flops to the kids' orphanage for the kids and the staff. Here are the kids all lined up ready to get new shoes.

Snazzy new pair of orange flip flops

I got pretty good at guessing what size shoe would fit what size foot!

Here are the nannies and other orphanage staff getting their new flip flops. It touched my heart when a few of the men refused shoes for themselves and took a small size for their child at home. I wished that every staff member could take shoes home for all their kids, too!

This says it all!

Just a sampling of the large group that got new flip flops! Thanks to everyone collecting shoes! We made some other great connections in Haiti, and your efforts are blessing and will continue to bless others!

"The flip flops were a hit!"

2009-03-19T11:45:00.000-07:00

The title quotes Dr. Hess regarding the Flip Flop Fleet's contribution to his recent trip to Honduras.

Thank you Dr. Hess for partnering with us to get some shoes to people in need in Honduras!

And thank you to everyone who has donated shoes. We have many more places we could be taking these shoes, let's keep watching for opportunities!

Stay tuned for some more reports of Flips going to people in need... isn't this fun? My favorite part of all of this is seeing the smiles.

Flip Flops on their way to HONDURAS!!

2009-02-17T17:42:00.000-08:00

Lee used to be an optician several years ago, and one of the doctors he worked for went on annual trips to other countries on VOSH Missions Trips. In the past 25 years, he as visited approximately 30 countries helping people to see better! He is currently the VOSH Minnesota president.

From their website: VOSH Minnesota is an organization dedicated to serving the vision needs of people around the world who cannot afford or do not have access to vision care services. We are an independent volunteer group of optometrists and other concerned individuals who travel around the globe to help provide better sight to those less fortunate.

I was talking to Dr. Hess about the Flip Flop Fleet and since they already had shipped their needed items for their current trip, he was happy to take flip flops with him to HONDURAS! He took 75 pair and the wonderful thing about flips is that they are so light that the box, which needed to weigh 50 lbs or less, weighed only 35 lbs. He said that someone once donated baseball caps and when they handed them out the people were so happy! We are praying that our flip flops bring many blessings!

Think creatively - there are many people going on missions trips of all types this time of year and we have great opportunities to get these shoes on some feet! Will you ask your church if there are any teams going out to areas in need? Please let us know if we can help!

Please Be Thinking...

2009-01-29T08:37:00.000-08:00

Ask your church if they are sending any teams to other countries for missions trips...keep your eyes and ears open for unique opportunities...there are people travelling all the time and maybe they can take some FLIP FLOPS with them! Don't assume that it will be a burden for them to do so...many groups are collecting items to take anyway, and it is actually a help to them. Also, flip flops are lightweight and easy to pack.

Please be thinking and email us at flipflopfleet@gmail.com if you have news of anyone who can take some shoes with them. If you hear of a group travelling but would rather that we contact them, let us know that as well!

Blessings!

YES, WE ARE!!

2009-01-15T16:57:00.000-08:00

Hey all you Flip Floppers out there, here's the thing. Lots of people have been saying, "Hey, have you heard of Souls for Soles? They are taking all those shoes that they found on the highway in Florida down to Haiti". Yes, I have heard of them. As soon as we launched the Fleet, people told me about them. All the time. People then ask if we are going to continue to do what we do, when there are other groups doing the same thing. The answer is a loud, YES, WE ARE!! I am actually puzzled by the fact that people ask this! I think it is great that there are other organizations helping, but I don't think that means we stop doing what WE are doing!! So YES. We are still going to collect shoes. We are still going to work with orphanages, missions teams and families traveling to Haiti, Guam, Ecuador, Ethiopia, WHEREVER shoes are needed! ONWARD AND UPWARD!!

More FFF Flips Arrive in Haiti!!

2008-12-21T16:17:00.000-08:00

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!!!

2008-11-30T19:24:00.000-08:00

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!

2008-11-30T17:08:00.000-08:00

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!!!

2008-11-25T13:53:00.000-08:00

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!!

2008-11-23T13:49:00.000-08:00

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!!

2008-11-20T08:23:00.000-08:00

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

2008-11-10T17:29:00.000-08:00

Here's a new way to link to us. Download either of these badges, or simply copy and paste the accompanying HTML code into your template:

220 x 112
HTML code:
<a href="http://flipflopfleet.blogspot.com/" target="new"><img src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_SbqLWX6CpYA/SRjhKDcUNZI/AAAAAAAABAY/fO5ef-yvgAo/s400/fff_badge_220x112.jpg" border="0" alt="Flip Flop Fleet"></a>

150 x 76
HTML code:
<a href="http://flipflopfleet.blogspot.com/" target="new"><img src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_SbqLWX6CpYA/SRjhs-fy92I/AAAAAAAABAg/mqWFJQW8FTA/s400/fff_badge_150x76.jpg" border="0" alt="Flip Flop Fleet"></a>

And thanks again for linking to us!

Our Biggest Intake to Date!! Profile on Sharla

2008-11-02T18:53:00.000-08:00

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!

2008-10-31T05:47:00.000-07:00

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!

2008-10-30T10:23:00.000-07:00

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!!

2008-10-26T21:41:00.000-07:00

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!

2008-10-22T23:16:00.001-07:00

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!!!

2008-10-10T16:26:00.001-07:00

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!

2008-10-09T17:28:00.000-07:00

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

2008-10-06T21:15:00.000-07:00

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!

2008-10-06T21:10:00.000-07:00

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

2008-09-29T16:12:00.000-07:00

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!

2008-09-25T17:09:00.000-07:00

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!!

2008-09-23T19:21:00.000-07:00

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!

2008-09-18T21:05:00.001-07:00

We just flipped over the 500 pair mark!

Our First Bit of Publicity!

2008-09-18T21:05:00.000-07:00

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...

2008-09-17T19:08:00.003-07:00

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

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

2008-09-17T19:08:00.000-07:00

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

2008-09-16T20:03:00.000-07:00

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?

2008-09-14T20:36:00.000-07:00

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?

2008-09-12T19:42:00.000-07:00

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

2008-09-11T20:04:00.000-07:00

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!!

The Fleet is Launched...

2008-09-06T21:14:00.000-07:00

I decided a few months back that I wanted to do something more with my life. I recalled the director of Patricia and Philippe's orphanage saying, "Parents in Haiti would rather their children have shoes than food." In a country where people are indeed starving and 1 of 4 children die before the age of 10, this is a truly profound statement. That was it...I would collect SHOES. We decided to call our endeavor the Flip Flop Fleet. We will work with the contacts we have in Haiti to start with, but not end with. We are willing to work with any country in need!

We are still getting things together. We want to have non-profit status. We have a website reserved. But here is what we do know. We already have a board of directors in place. We have a logo nearly finished.

We have a minimum goal of FIFTY Flip Flop Friends (in FIFTY cities) and FIFTY Flip Flop Fans.

The definition of a Flip Flop Friend is:
1) Someone who is willing to gather a minimum of 50 pairs of flip flops or sandals over the course of a year. One of our board members recently purchased 25 pair for .49 each. You could throw a party and ask all of your guests to bring a pair. However you choose to get your flip flops is up to you.

2) You do not ship your Flips to me. First of all, we don't want to waste unnecessary shipping expenses. Second, we don't have the space :). Third, one of our goals is to work with churches to coordinate missions trips with shoe delivery. For example, a group that is going to the Phillipines may be willing to take some Flips with them to deliver to the village(s) they are traveling to serve.

The definition of a Flip Flop Fan is:
1) Someone who makes occasional monetary or shoe donations.
2) Someone who is willing to commit to pray for this ministry.

We are open to ideas so please leave a comment or contact us via email at flipflopfleet@gmail.com with suggestions. Also, please email me to let me know if you would like to sign up as a Flip Flop Fleet Friend or Fan.

Here are the Friends we have so far:
The Flynn Family - Boulder City (Las Vegas), Nevada
Denise Runde - Omaha, NE
Chuck Hujet - Appleton/Green Bay, WI
Nichole Cheeney - Phoenix, AZ
Holly Kindbom - Denver, CO
Mindy Fitzgerald - Houston, TX

Don't let it stop you if someone from your city or state is already a Friend. We all need more Friends! :)

I am so excited! It is a great time of year to get Flips on clearance - won't you consider making a purchase or two?