My friends at Soles4Souls recently launched a campaign to raise 50,000 pairs of shoes for those who have never, I repeat, never had them before. While the goal is daunting, please don’t focus on the 50,000. Focus on the 2 for $5. Yep. INVEST $5 and GIVE 2 pairs of shoes…today.

In case you’re thinking, I don’t have $5 to give, consider the following ways to find $5 you didn’t even know you had:

• Find and sell something forgotten on Craigslist
• Cash in the piggy bank sitting on your dresser
• Brew your coffee at home today and stop by here instead
• Donate a percentage of your companies profit for one hour or one day
• Make some fudge and sell it to a friend at work
• Work one hour of overtime this week
• Don’t order the dinner drink next time you go out to eat
• Opt to borrow your next book, not buy it

What other creative ways can you find money in a cash-crunch economy?

GIVE.

Yesterday at church, this challenge was given:

“This Holiday season, go without your luxuries so that others can have their necessities.”

As the downturn of the economy affects each of us in our own unique ways, one thing that stands true for most of us is that there are luxuries that we still afford because we can. However, this does not apply to everybody.

Soles4Souls just launched a campaign to collect 50,000 shoes in 50 days. For only $5, you can buy two pairs of shoes that will be given to people in Mexico who can’t afford to buy their own. Moreover, if you give during their new campaign, you could be chosen to be one of the people who gets to deliver the shoes. Great stuff.

If you’ve ever been in a third-world country, you fully understand the need for people to have shoes. If you haven’t, just imagine millions (no exaggeration) of people walking on dirt filled with trash, sewer, broken glass, metal and only God knows what else. This need is huge and the Soles4Souls goal is as well.

Please take a moment and consider what luxury you could go without today, for the benefit of those who can’t afford to buy their own shoes.

Donate today!