Family collects shoes to help adopted daughter & connect with world
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SHARON, Tenn. — Thousands and thousands of shoes pile up to the ceiling in Dawn Thompson’s garage. “We take old shoes, new shoes, ancient shoes,” Thompson said. But before shoes became a major part of the Thompson family, it was a bond between mother and daughter that laced everything together. “DCS came in. I worked with them and then became a foster parent. Two years later, I adopted her when her parents’ rights were terminated,” Thompson said. Amanda suffers from cerebral palsy. At 15-years-old, Amanda first met Dawn when Dawn became her caretaker. “There were things going on at the home and at the time I was married,” Thompson said. “He told me to quit that job because I came home crying every night.” Now, 10 years later, Dawn and Amanda both have grown together, and most recently it’s been shoes tying them to hundreds across the world. “Twenty-six different countries — they’ll take the shoes to some of the countries and show them how to repair the shoes to sell for income,” Thompson said. “Some of the shoes will go to people that will need shoes that don’t have any shoes.” It’s a project that started in August when Thompson says she realized taking care of Amanda would eventually become too much. “The lift will let her take her motorized chair with her wherever we go, and like I said, she can run after the kids if she wants to. But if she doesn’t have that lift, then she is immobile,” Thompson said In order to buy that lift, Dawn came up with an idea to collect shoes. The thousands of shoes eventually will be picked up by a company who will cut a check for the 8,000 pairs of shoes. This will pay for Amanda’s new lift to help her get out and about. Twenty-five pairs of shoes go in each bag, all wrapped with rubber bands. Thompson said in less than a month she has gathered more than 3,000 but needs 5,000 more pairs in order to meet her goal. Thompson’s deadline will be at the end of October, but she says she believes faith and fate are on her side. “I’m excited about this. When people say ‘whoa, that’s so many shoes,’ I’ve got the faith we are going to get this,” Thompson said. “Too many people want a hand in helping her and helping the other countries.” You can drop off donations at the following locations: – Milan Mirror Exchange – Milan Vineyard – Sharon Furniture – Sharon Baptist Church – Northwestern Baptist Church in Martin – Parham Heating & Cooling in Trenton (drive-thru window)
