Community Service ~ Woman's Refuge

For the last 2 months I have been drumming up pledges for a fund raising event I was taking part in. I was asked by a family member to walk in this event. I was going to be Walking A Mile In Her Shoes, a fund raiser for our local Woman's Refuge.

This wonderful place offers assistance for those people, both women and men, who find themselves in domestic violence situations, and also offers assistance to those individuals who have been sexually assaulted. But they offer so much more, I will get to that in a minute.

Through the wonders of Facebook, and my wonderful family and friends, We, and I say we because it was a group effort, we raised $900.00 for the Redding Women's Refuge. All I did was put on a pair of Red Glittered 3 inch platform shoes and walked my mile. It was a great event, raising money for a Great Organization.
I walked my mile, my feet were killing me!!! But it was all for a good cause. I finished and then went about my day.

My wife and I had errands to run and as we always do on a Saturday we stopped by a few yard sales. At one such sale, a young lady walked up to me and asked if she could shake my hand, I was a bit confused but extended my hand, she said she noticed that I had my Walk A Mile In Her Shoes shirt on and she wanted to thank me for walking.. She then told my wife and I that several years ago she and her then toddler child, had used the services of the Redding Woman's Refuge. She was ending an abusive relationship and needed a place to stay and the Refuge offered that to her and her child.
Now some people may think that this is some weird coincidence, but NOT me I truly feel that this was Divine intervention, putting me at that yard sale, with the t- shirt proclaiming that I had just finished this event. I stood in amazement that before I had walked in this event I had NEVER had one person walk up to me and tell me their story of abuse. I was touched beyond words.

I write this blog today acknowledging that there are bad things that happen to good people. Knowing full well that there are times in everyone's life that they need a hand up, without judgement, without fear of condemnation.

Agencies such as the Redding Woman's Refuge are a needed part of our community, though I wish it were not so. They assist those who are in the deepest depths of despair and who need to have someone there to guide them through what may seem to them to be the darkest days of their lives. Those people who volunteer at the Refuge give them unconditional love and support all the while guiding them though the process of getting their lives back in order. And to those Volunteers I stand at attention and in awe of their unwavering love and support to these individuals.

So my 3 inch Red Glitter platform shoes are now put away in the back of my closet, but only until next year. Because every year Women's Refuges all over the nation need to be supported. And I can do that one walk at a time, raising as much money as I can to help support this awesome cause.

As you go about your life this next year stop and pray for those people who find themselves in abusive relationships, and those who find themselves the victims of sexual assault. Knowing that we can ALL make a difference if we just take the time to. Even if it is just walking a mile in her shoes..... in this journey we call life......

Blessings to you and yours
Curtis