8,000 Shoes Across the Sea

On Tuesday, May 29th, 2008, Grace Episcopal Church of Old Saybrook held a dinner for Bishop Sadock Makaya, Diocese of Tabora of the Anglican Church in Tanzania, Africa. The Bishop made a special trip during his visit to the United States to thank Grace Church and volunteers from across the state of Connecticut for their efforts in donating, collecting, packing and shipping a container filled with consumer and medical goods to his country.

4,000 pairs of shoes, 1,200 articles of clothing, hundreds of teeshirts, cribs, mattresses, wheelchairs, crutches and other medical supplies, bicycles, sewing machines and more were shipped in January 2007.

This is the story of how 4,000 pairs of shoes grew into a grassroots statewide effort of a contribution valued at more than four hundred thousand dollars. It began in August, 2006 when a local children’s clothing store closed its doors and offered to donate unsold merchandise.

Members of Grace Episcopal Church, who were offered the children’s merchandise as a missions donation, decided to send the goods to the diocese of Tabora. Tabora had been experiencing drought conditions; food and clothing were scarce.

Grace Church already had a relationship with Tabora and its Bishop. But, the logistics and cost of shipping to Africa were overwhelming. A special container used for cargo shipments would be required; they had no idea where this would come from. Items would need to be categorized and labeled for customs, then boxed. Furthermore, there was no place large enough to store all the merchandise until it was ready for shipment. Not to mention that volunteers had no way to cover the cost for transport which, in the end would amount to almost nine thousand dollars. And, they kept in mind the fact that it is not unusual for shipments to third world nations never to arrive at their destination due to illegal maneuvers.

Nevertheless, the effort grew. Other churches were contacted and became involved. An outpouring of donations came from unexpected sources. Old Saybrook and Westbrook school systems made donations. The Senior Council on the shoreline pitched in as did the Thrift Shop of Middlesex Hospital. Charley’s Closet, a medical apparatus store located in Guilford said ‘take whatever you want” and a second medical supplies firm in Groton donated their entire second floor of equipment, including wheelchairs and crutches. Electronic equipment, paper supplies, household goods, toiletries….the list of donations and the people that became involved grew as they were touched by the effort. Warehouse space was paid for by volunteers. John Morrison of the Connecticut Sign Service volunteered the use of a 48 foot box trailer and a sign that extended the length of the trailer, “We’re on our way to Tabora”.

Musyoki Muindi, Director of Administration and Development of the Christian Missionary Society of the Anglican Commission worked to obtain a container. Parishioners from all the churches donated goods, money as well as time. Bishop James Curry of the Episcopal Church of Connecticut contributed some funding for the shipping costs.

“We were packing the items” related Grace Bates of Old Saybrook, “and we would run out of packing tape. Someone would run out for more and return with tape…and a bicyle. Or socks. Or whatever.”

Finally, by the end of November, 2006, a container which spanned the entire width of the Grace Church parking lot was ready for shipment. The transit time was 30 days. It arrived at the port in Dar Es Salaam the first week in January, where it sat for three months. Authorities refused to release it saying the shipment arrived ‘before the appropriate paperwork’. Negotiations, including those by the Anglican Church, failed. Once again, volunteers of Grace Church pitched in. Upon an offer of $3,000, the African customs authorities agreed to release the shipment.

“I had to touch it for myself to make sure it was real”, said Bishop Makaya upon receiving the shipment. He gave great thanks for this heartfelt gift. People in Western Tanganyika have very little. Most do not have shoes; those that do have them tied together with string. He described the children elated to have shoes for the first time; “They jumped up and down, danced, put them on, took them off, then put them on again”.

Almost a half a million dollars worth of merchandise and financial donations were sent. Still other contributions were offered; 9 skids of medical supplies from the University of Connecticut could not be shipped but were able to be diverted to other missions. As Vicki Manfredi of Grace Church said in addressing the May 29th congregation, “Jesus fed thousands with 5 loaves of bread and 2 fish. He gave us the strength and faith to do the same in his name.”

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