By LINDA D. COLE and INGRID L. KOHLER
Published June 26, 2004
A recent letter introduced us to a nonprofit organization that provides shoes to needy children in the Tampa Bay area. The all-volunteer service has existed about two years and has given away thousands of shoes to kids who range from infants to 18-year-olds, and many of whom live in homeless shelters.
Each month Footprints Ministry loads a truck with shoes and heads to a distribution site. The children's feet are measured, and then they receive a new pair of socks; a volunteer helps them try on and select a pair of shoes. The socks and shoes (mostly sneakers) are new, and at the most recent distribution, 575 pairs were handed out. Some of the kids who arrive to get shoes come in limping from having squeezed into shoes several sizes too small. One boy hobbled in wearing two left shoes.
Rose Averill, who runs the ministry, was the person who wrote about it to REX. And here's why: She needs more volunteers and donations of new socks and sneakers in all sizes, plus more Bradcock devices (that measure feet), to keep the good footwork going. If you are interested in becoming involved, the address is: Footprints Ministry, 1543 Highland Ave. S, No. 278, Clearwater, FL 33756.
While Rose has our attention, she needs some advice. She wants to screen a wall of glass sliders 25 feet long. They pocket into the wall, and the existing track will not permit screening to be added. Rose may be reached at (727) 539-1698.
Do you know a source for 8-inch pie plates? This appears to be another of those kitchen items that has become extinct. If you have information, or a pie plate, please call (727) 319-2473.
Square dancing, anyone? Joyce's health no longer permits it, but she has several square dance outfits she would like to give someone who can use them. The items include square dance blouses and skirts size medium, four each; two crinolines; one pair of ruffled panties and two pairs of square dance shoes (size 61/2). Joyce's e-mail address is joidell@tampabay.rr.com
If you are interested in acquiring National Geographic from 1961 through 1981 or 20 volumes of the 1952 edition of the Book of Knowledge, with bookcase, please call Sam of St. Petersburg at (727) 343-3657.
Mary Watson of the Mainlands in Pinellas Park was given a Regal bread machine, model K6723, which unfortunately, came minus instruction manual. She would love to use it, so she's hoping that another reader with the same model will let her copy a user's guide.
Mary also has about 100 spools of polyester thread on regular spools and about 100 spools of serger polyester thread to give to an organization that can use them. If marquetry, not sewing, is your hobby, Mary has some marquetry supplies, mostly sawdust in different colors, that you may enjoy. Please call (727) 576-4577.
Rita Wood of Largo is seeking someone knowledgeable "in the lost art of sewing and alterations" in the Largo-Seminole area. Please call (727) 394-1574 if you are proficient in these arts.
Lorraine Kollman of Pinellas Park wants the words to the song The Turkish Delight, sung by Arthur Godfrey. Lorraine didn't include her telephone number, so please mail your responses to her in care of this column and we'll make sure she gets them.
Marge O'Brien of Clearwater needs a P. Buckley Moss counted cross-stitch pattern called "Grandma's House." Either a new or used set of instructions with color chart, etc., would be wonderful. Please contact Marge at (727) 531-2836.
Mary Broeker of Seminole has grown her hair longer and wants to find a snood. It's a kind of hair net difficult to find now, but was worn by '40s movie stars such as Betty Grable, Ginger Rogers and Ann Sheridan to keep their page boys in place. Know where to buy one or can you make one? Call Mary at (727) 392-4706.
Thank-you notes
Alice Hankins thanks everyone who supplied her students with the 2004 day planners they needed. The women were the big winners; many of the planners received were distinctly feminine. So, if any new sources of day planners more suitable for men arise, please keep Alice and her students in mind.
Send requests to Reader Exchange, Floridian, St. Petersburg Times, P.O. Box 1121, St. Petersburg 33731 or e-mail cole@sptimes.com Requests will be accepted only by mail or e-mail. This is an exchange column, so we will not run items that are for sale.
