Imagine your entire life changed in the blink of an eye. Your house, all your valuables and even family members perished instantly. Thankfully for us, this is just a hypothetical scenario ... but for the thousands upon thousands affected by the catastrophic earthquake in Haiti, January 12, 2010, this is a reality.

 

Living in Alabama, a place that feels like a lightyear away from this devastating event, it can be easy to turn a blind eye to what has occurred a thousand miles south — but we, too, can be part of making a difference.

 

Tuscaloosa's Shoe Carnival, located in University Mall on MacFarland Boulevard, is teaming up with Soles4Souls to send 250,000 pairs of shoes to suffering Haitians, as well as food, bottled water, clothing and baby items. We all have at least one pair of old shoes that are currently wasting space in the closet ... donating our trash could become their treasure.

 

If you don't have any shoes to donate but still want to help, the store is also taking monetary donations. All you have to do is visit the University Mall location and let the cashier know how much you want to donate for the relief fund.

 

Shoe Carnival is not the only way Tuscaloosa natives can reach out, though. At your own convenience, you can text "Haiti" to 90999 from your cell phone and donate $10 to the American Red Cross in aiding recovery to the shocked country. Click here to visit the West Alabama American Red Cross website for more details. CARE organization is also a global website you can visit to make donations for Haiti.

 

It was only five years ago that Hurricane Katrina swept through New Orleans, La., annihilating most everything and everyone in its path. It was less than two years ago that Hurricane Ike plowed through Texas. For those people affected, any amount of contribution or sympathy was more than appreciated. It's our turn to pay it forward and give Haitians the attention we all know that they need and deserve.

 

For more information on donations to Shoe Carnival, see this story reported by WVUA. Remember that every little bit counts ... let's not turn a blind eye to those in desperate need.