The Healing Tree Foundation and Think Kindness Partner for a National Shoe Drive for African Orphans

Feb. 17, 2009 - PRLog -- The Healing Tree Foundation announces its involvement in the “Shoe Some Love” campaign, brainchild of Brian Williams of Think Kindness.  The two organizations will partner with Hope Runs, an organization which uses running as the catalyst to teach life skills such as goal setting, honor, integrity, and perseverance.  They have trained children to become professional runners and have a student attending college on a running scholarship.  The goal is to collect over 5,000 gently used shoes (2,500 pairs) that will be personally delivered to an orphanage in Nyeri, Kenya in June 2009.  

“We are in a need of both shoes, and even more so, the funds to ship the shoes, so having a partner like The Healing Tree Foundation who is committed to the well-being of children and this cause will be great help,” said Brian Williams, founder of Think Kindness and creator of “Shoe Some Love.”  “Some of the children we will be giving them to have never owned a pair of shoes in their lives.  We will accept any new and/or gently used shoes for our team to take to Kenya and can’t wait to see the kindness and generosity the American people show!”

The Healing Tree Foundation will help fund the “Shoe Some Love” project and create awareness among the public.  Current drop locations are set in the Reno, NV, Sparks, NV, Carson, CA and the Tahoe area. Donation are also being sought to help pay for shipping the shoes to Kenya. Monetary donations can be made directly online by visiting www.healingtreefoundation.org.  During the event, Think Kindness will film a documentary that will allow the public to see the difference their donations made to those in need.

“The Healing Tree Foundation was originally formed to help children in need, no matter where they live,” said the foundation’s president and founder, CJ Scarlet.  “Even though we are on opposite sides of the world, we can still make a difference and impact these children’s lives in an extremely positive way.”

About Brian Williams and Think Kindness.org
Brian Williams, founder of Think Kindness.org, is a motivational speaker and fourth-degree black belt who has dedicated his life and career to helping young people discover their inner strength and aptitude for kindness. He has spoken to thousands of children and has documented 80,000 acts of kindness—with the goal of 1,000,000. He has been featured in several newspaper articles and television programs, and appeared on a full season of an MTV original series. He is a bombshell of energy, passion, and positive attitude.  

Brian is a youth counselor at a group home in South Lake Tahoe for juvenile offenders. He works with six teens from across the country who have lived a life of crime, gang activity, poverty, and drug abuse. In addition to teaching them how to ski and apply for college scholarships, Brian gets them involved with the Think Kindness program and shows them that their story of growth, education, and perseverance can be a massive source of inspiration for others. He shows them how their past can change the world and even possibly save a life.    

About The Healing Tree Foundation
The Healing Tree Foundation was established as a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization in 2008 to fund programs whose mission is to create positive change through acts of kindness.  The foundation’s Kindness Cure Campaign offers hope and inspiration during these troubled times by actively demonstrating how simple acts of kindness can transform the physical and mental health of individuals and society, and by creating a forum for people to share the impact of kindness toward themselves and others.  For more information about the foundation please visit www.healingtreefoundation.org, or to join the Kindness Cure Campaign visit www.thekindnesscure.org.

About Hope Runs
Hope Runs works to empower children in impoverished communities with an understanding of personal health, social entrepreneurship and technology through running. On-site service learning coaches lead daily running programs, while also organizing an internationally-attended race that calls global attention to the community and its unique challenges. They also establish creative writing projects, technology training, and small-scale businesses that help this community continue to thrive in the future.

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HTF inspires people to act kindly and give generously in their communities. We provide inspiration by demonstrating how acts of kindness can transform the health of society and created a forum for people to share the impact kindness had on their lives.