Laces of Grace

This past weekend, Larry and I were blessed to have help out with an amazing organization at the Back to School Bash.  

I will let the founder of Laces of Grace tell you about the organizations...

"Laces of Grace, Inc. was started in 2010 by myself, Matt Graves and my wife Corey (we have 3 beautiful kids Baylie, Drew and Casey). After spending years at the collegiate level of football, I came home to Texarkana to coach high school football.  After getting close to one of the players I coached, Corey and I took the young man shopping for shoes to start the school year.  When we walked in the store, he had NO IDEA what size shoe he wore.  He had on a decent pair of shoes in a size 9.5.  We wound up buying him an 11.5!

I could not image walking around with shoes that are 2 sizes too small.  Since that day, I began noticing kids shoes and what terrible condition some of them were in.  When I saw a kid with a nicer pair, I couldn't help but wonder if they were 2 sizes too small.

I began feeling as if God was tugging on my heart to DO SOMETHING! About that time, I came across the verse

1 John 3:17-18 "If anyone has material possessions and sees a brother in need but has no pity on him, how can the love of God be in him?  Dear children, let us notl ove with words or tongue, but in action and in truth."  And after much prayer and counsel, Laces of Grace was formed.

Our goal is to share God's love and grace while meeting a need by providing children with a paire of shoes."

Over 2200 paris of shoes were given away! 

The family that started it all, The Graves

The right fit

This is at 7:00am

Over 2500 pair of shoes were ordered this year
With every pair of shoes, the child receives a new pair of socks as well

A family with their new shoes

Check in Table

The line is still going strong

The after lunch
Thank you for an amazing experience

I feel so blessed have been able to help with this amazing event this past weekend in Texarkana.  Like Matt said to all the volunteers before the doors opened that morning, "This is not about you.  We are here to love on the kids and show them God's love by providing them shoes."

There were several kids wearing the wrong size of shoes and then, there were the kids that came in with no shoes.  

One volunteer told us about a boy, who brought his shoes from last year.  Another volunteer told us about a little boy, who put on his new shoes and took of running and came back and said, "these are fast shoes!"  

What a blessing Laces of Grace is!

If you want to know more about Laces of Grace or want to see how you or your organization could help, check out their website

www.lacesofgrace.com

"If anyone has material possessions and sees his brother in need but has no pity on him, how can the love of God be in him? Dear children, let us not love with words or tongue but with actions and truth"

1 John 3:17-18