As you know, we’ve been collecting gently used shoes for a fundraiser for the rescue dogs of k9.5 . It’s a bit of an odd request, I’ll give you that, but it’s a valid one. Let me explain….

The Condensed Version.

We will collect the shoes, Funds2Orgs will provide us with a donation for our collection efforts.

The Detailed Version

We are struggling. We are in a huge medical debt. We have to pay this debt while also purchasing food, medications, take animals to the doctor, etc.

I have avoided giving intimate details about our debt because it’s embarrassing. I feared looking inept by revealing the high number, although I know it’s not due to careless spending or excessive intakes…my vet can verify. In fact, it’s almost a running joke that “if it’s going to happen, it will happen to Alli.” Yet it still causes me to hang my head.

I don’t know that not providing a monetary number has benefited us, so perhaps I should lay it on the table…as defeating as it may be.

Here we go….

 

 

 

 

 

We need to raise $6000 just to clear our debt. This includes our emergency credit card and our regular vet debt. This does not include money for food, monthly and daily meds and the upcoming annuals for all of the dogs.

 

Our fundraising and monetary donations have brought in a grand total of $1816.41 this year plus some food donations.  Our current bank balance is $27.65.

Our debt includes things that have built up over time, despite continued efforts to bring it down. Yearly vaccines/fecal/heartworm tests, heartworm treatments, spays/neuters, many ear infections and swabs, tests for urinary issues, multiple bloodwork panels, radiographs, boarding Nyla when my back went out, various exams and illnesses, a back log of surgeries, medications, multiple trips to the emergency clinic, and more. All of these things needing to be done, and not just foolishly spent or someone talking me into them. And yes, we get a discount. Our vet is very good to us, even providing additional donations. When you have several rescue dogs in your program, it simply adds up.

July begins the round of annual vaccines for all the dogs and Nyla will be spayed. We buy daily medications, flea and tick preventative, heartworm preventative, and food. Marci has to board a week while her foster mother is out of town because there is nowhere else for her to go that won’t stress her due to other dogs and a new environment. Who knows what else (God willing, nothing!).

HOW THE SHOES HELP

If we gather the 300 bags of shoes (7500 pairs) we can cut our debt in half. To boot, if we collect more, we can knock it down to a lower number because there is no cap as to how many we can gather.

WE HAVE ONE MONTH. We are maybe at 25 bags at this point. This means we have collected about $25 because if we don’t gather a minimum of 200 bags, they deduct $200 from our total raised. WE NEED YOUR  HELP!!!

This is NOT an impossible task. There are a lot of people in Greenville, let alone the surrounding cities. One person collected 7 bags while she was in town for a week…so again, this CAN be done!

If just half of our Facebook following collected 25 pairs each, we’d hit our goal.

How to do it

If one person collected 1 bag and asked 1 more person to collect a bag (25 pairs), it would quickly add up. Ex:

Bob collects a bag and asks Sue to collect one.

Sue asks Jane to collect one.

Jane asks Tom and Amy to collect one.

Tom and Amy each ask one or two people to collect one….

See how it works? It’s easy!

And NO cost to anyone!

I have tried to share details and promote, but Facebook limits our post views (our biggest following). They have willingly admitted to limiting anything that asks for shares, help, memes, etc. This is killing nonprofits. They want us to pay to get the word out. Remember the $1861.41? It’s hard to put that toward Facebook marketing when we are trying to feed and purchase medication for these rescue dogs.

In addition, I’ve contacted almost every vet in the upstate, boarding facilities, etc. to no avail. However, with your help, we CAN get the word out and we CAN gather all these shoes!

Collections

I can provide bags for anyone who feels they can collect some and bag them. If you can’t find the time to bag, that’s okay! Just gather as many as possible and I will bag them. But we NEED SHOES!

The sad truth

I’m begging. As pathetic as it sounds, I am on my knees and begging for help. This is such an easy thing to do and so possible, but we just need to get the word out. I’m trying, but so far it’s been limited, and I don’t know what else to do. I’m not the world’s best fundraiser because I hate asking for money. I also am limited on what can be done in terms of fundraising. These shoes, however…they can be a great, great fundraiser!

Please help these dogs by simply gathering used shoes and spreading the word. Any style, any size, men’s, women’s, and children’s. Doesn’t matter where you are…Greenville, Columbia, Spartanburg, etc. We have drop off locations, as well in Simpsonville.

Help us make this a success. The sooner the debt is down, the faster we can progress to helping more animals.

And please help us get past the Facebook barrier by sharing this all over the internet. Tweet, Pin, and share…lets make collecting shoes for rescue dogs fun!

THANK YOU!! Learn more about the shoe fundraiser by visiting our website: Shoe Fundraiser Information