Last week at our church community center, someone donated just one cowboy boot. It is a nice Justin boot, and just my size! But I have two feet as most folks do. I nabbed it to make a planter with it. So far, I have rubbed it with Vicks to make it more water proof, but cannot decide what kind of plants to put into it? I did drill a hole in the sole of it for drainage. It is a plain black boot with a low heel, and if there were two, I would wear them! When I get it planted, I will post a picture of it. [tip: if you donate things to charities, be sure to send BOTH shoes/boots, or other items requiring a set, please. We get a lot of very fine shoes with no mates, and have to toss them. However, I will rescue the boots. ]
Those single shoes or boots could be donated to an organization like Wounded Warrior or some other group that helps people who have lost a leg for whatever reason. You never know, that might be just the thing they need.
There is a website where people with only one leg/foot can exchange shoes and boots with people who have the opposite. I haven't been on the site, have only heard about it. If I can find a link, I'll post it, but if more of us search, the the site is more likely to pop up. Nightowl, just put a plastic pot with a plant in the boot, and put a heavy-duty freezer bag around the pot. Check occasionally to see if the bag needs to be drained. That way the boot doesn't need to be perforated, and you can easily change the plant if you want. I just dug through my website list, and came up with this:http://www.oddshoe.org/need.php for the USA and Canada. The UK hasthis site: http://www.disabledinfo.co.uk/dis/1931-what-to-do-if-you-only-need-one-shoe.asp I have two feet, but found these sites while trying to get shoes for an amputee at the local nursing home. He was embarassed to be constantly wearing bedroom slippers. He looks so good wearing a loafer!
My neighbor has ...only one foot. She lost her leg in a motorcycle accident. Most often though she does wear the other shoe on her prosthetic. So, maybe that was an un-used boot from someone who thought maybe someone else could use the other... never know, But I myself have two shoes that don't match. I think I accidentally threw away two shoes when I was cleaning, thinking I threw away a pair I didn't like or fit quite right.... I keep hoping that I just stuck them away when I was cleaning the basement, but I still haven't found them. .
I always look for 1 boot or shoe. I have allot of them. Some very sentimental. This one had feet in them from the fellow who built my house. I can't fill his boots by a long shot but I have filled them with plants and flowers to bring more happiness along with what he has given us already. Thanks my dear friend Frank in Florida.
Thank you for the websites. I will look at them, and see if there any groups around here that take single shoes or boots. If there is anyone with only one leg in our area, we have no knowledge of them. We do send our overflow to a larger group in a nearby big city, and perhaps they have contact with a veterans group for amputees? There is a thrift store run by the DAV up there. I would much prefer the single shoes would be put to use. Sometimes they are brand new, or nearly new. It also happens with children's shoes. I think people get to cleaning, and pick out things to send and they get separated by mistake.
AA, I did not know this neighbor had a prosthesis. I just happened to ask her (me being my usual open mouth insert foot...) when she was going to get rid of her knee brace since she had it the last time I had seen her about a year before, too. Umm, she stuck out her leg and replied, that is my leg . Well, her "leg" looked like a leg. Had flesh colored "rubbery" looking "skin". She was so candid about it. She had no "pity me" attitude going on. Just said her and her husband had an accident on their very first date and she lost her leg then. Her attitude was "get me something to walk with, I am ready to go home" when she was in the hospital after the accident. There wasn't anything to be done about it at that point. You work with what you have, was her attitude. I would have never known it if I hadn't asked her.
I am glad your neighbor is alright despite her injury. Some people go on a giant pity party when something dreadful happens. It is good that she has such a strong attitude about it.
