Abby Nadeau
Community Editor

Food, water and shelter are some of the basic necessities in life.

Some people are lucky enough to achieve all of these amenities and more. But for others even the simplest item, like shoes, cannot be met.

For those people, the only help they can find is from the kindness of strangers; strangers like Forest Lake native Dan Robinson.

Robinson, a sod farmer in Lino Lakes, has made three different mission trips to the Yucatan Peninsula.

While on each trip Robinson saw extreme poverty, most of them children.

ìThere were kids walking around barefoot,î Robinson said. ìMany of them didnít have any adults around them either.î

When Robinson saw how many children were homeless and without many basic needs he was overwhelmed.

ìGod laid on my heart,î said Robinson. ìI knew I had to do something.î

A ìlight bulb went offî in Robinsonís mind to start a collection for shoes. The idea came after the church he attends, Crossroads Church, took up a similar collection.

The church gathered 300 to 400 coats to send down to a Christian missions group called Tapestries of Life that would go into a community in Mexico and distribute them.

Robinson called his friend Terry Bergeron, who recently moved to Guadalupe, Mexico, and ran an idea by him.

ìI approached him about the idea of taking up a drive for shoes for the kids,î stated Robinson. ìTerry agreed and that is what Iím trying to do now.î

Bergeron and his wife Pati work through Tapestries of Life. The Minnesota couple moved to Guadalupe in January to help build an orphanage.

It is Tapestries of Life that is making sure that many of the homeless children are receiving their basic needs.

For Robinson heading up a collection for shoes is nothing compared to what Tapestries of Life is trying to accomplish.

ìThis group has spent the last 10 years trying to build this orphanage,î Robinson said. ìI just do what I can to help them out.î

Part of the reason Robinson is heading down to Mexico is to deliver a battery pack for a wind generator for the orphanage.

Robinson is providing the trucks and trailers to haul a load of supplies to Mexico.

ìThere will probably be a caravan of vehicles going down to Mexico,î Robinson said. ìWe are delivering 120 doors, the battery pack and the shoes.î

Accepting donations

Robinson has had such a good response for the collection of shoes he is a little concerned.

ìI think Iím going to have to bring either a bigger trailer or more trailers,î Robinson said laughing.

Robinson stated that although they are asking for brand new shoes, they would not turn down gently used either.

The goal is to deliver at least 1000 pairs of shoes, but people can donate other supplies as well.

ìPati asked me what the point was to send shoes down without socks too,î Robinson said. ìShe makes a good point, but the socks are not required.î

The caravan from Crossroads Church will be leaving on Monday, February 20 and returning a week later.

Their plan is to arrive by Wednesday so they can help distribute the shoes to the children in the community. The group also has plans to tour the orphanage and see the progress that has been made.

ìI know the need is there,î Robinson said, ìand I know our goal will be attained for the shoes.î

To make a donation, Crossroads Church, at 17445 Notre Dame St., will have a collection day on Sunday, February 19. The public can also drop off donations at Ottomeyer Clinic at 957 S. Lake St.

For more information contact Crossroads Church at 464-2195.

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Forest Lake Times
P.O. Box 218
880 SW 15 St.
Forest Lake, MN 55025
651-464-4601
Fax 651-464-4605