The term “Community Service” has many meanings. For some people it’s about giving back to a community they call home. For others it’s a great way to meet new people. And sometimes it’s about feeling like you are part of something bigger than yourself. But for Red Shoe Society members “Community Service” is about all of the above.
For those of you that don’t know, The Red Shoe Society is a group of professionals, between the ages of 25-45, that come together for one common mission; serving children and families at The Ronald McDonald House. These young people come from varying professions and backgrounds across central Ohio. They volunteer their time making breakfast for families on Saturday mornings. They host fundraisers that help provide more nights of rest to families; including the first ever Red Shoe Run on August 1st to kick off a full month of service activities and fundraisers. And when they aren’t serving families and raising money, they find time to network and get to know one another better. And that’s where my story really begins.
You see as I’ve built up and managed The Red Shoe Society over my past 8 years at the House, I’ve seen how these young people come together. They find a common bond in their volunteer work that creates life-long friendships and sometimes even more. This past weekend, I was honored to celebrate with two of our Red Shoe members as they said their wedding vows to one another. And I got to watch as another Red Shoe member officiated their wedding ceremony. And as two other Red Shoe members presented readings that captured the love that brought them together. And as countless other Red Shoe members made the long drive to Hilton Head to celebrate with them. It was our very first Red Shoe wedding.
That’s what The Red Shoe Society does. It takes a common bond, The Ronald McDonald House, and turns the least likely of people into forever friends. It’s through the time spent providing for others that one can really see the good in another. Our Red Shoe Members have found friendship in each other and a bond that grows with every single cracked egg, dollar raised, and life touched.
If you are between the ages of 25-45 and think “Community Service” is about all of the above, email me at Jamie.foltz@rmhc-centralohio.org and you too can be on your way to building forever friendships while making a meaningful impact on people who need it the most.