Sweet Service in Indiana

I changed plans for what I was going to post today after I saw what Erin from Living in Yellow did to spread the SHINE in Indiana. She took a weekly challenge and ran with it, and I HAD to have her share with you what she was able to accomplish. She did exactly what I know each of us can do in the lives of those around us. Be ready to get inspired, and leave your comments below about ideas that came into your head! And then go leave Erin some love :)

AND our AMAZING sponsor Kristi Hoskins is giving FREE shipping to all of you Shine Readers! The code is SHINE2011.She thinks you're awesome and wanted to give you a little treat. Go visit her Etsy shop HERE for incredible crocheted head bands and other unique finds! I've seriously never seen anything like them!

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Hello there pretty ladies. My name is Erin, CEO of Living In Yellow.{Don’t let the professional jargon fool you, there is nothing professional about me. Or my blog.}If you care to get to know me a little better, click here.

I am here today to share with you the difference that The Shine Project has made in Northern Indiana. A few months ago I stumbled upon Ashley’s blog and immediately fell in love-I admired Ashley’s passion, her purpose, her enthusiasm, and her determination to be a better change in the world. Not to mention she is the cutest thing on the planet. Seriously. CUTE AS SUGAR.

I wanted to get involved, but wasn’t sure how. And then, Ashley threw out a challenge to clean out your closets and donate it to a girl or organization in need.I instantly knew this challenge was for me…not just because I knew my closet was in desperate need of a good cleanout, but because I knew that there are so many girls in my area that could benefit from this.

Let me share with you how easy peasie this was. Like seriously..It was Simple. So simple it shouldn’t be allowed:

-I knew this challenge appealed to me. So I decided I was going to act on it. Don’t think about it too much, just go with it. This was the hardest part to the whole thing. Once knowing there was no turning back…

- I sent out a call for help through my blog and also by an email to some co-workers and friends of mine. To get an idea of what that looked like, click here.

-After getting a commitment from enough girls to donate their clothes, I contacted a local organization that helps underprivileged youth in our area. Set up a 10 minute meeting with them to discuss what it is I wanted to do, picked a date that worked for them, and bam-everything was set.

-Over the next couple of weeks friends, co-workers, and family brought their clothing to me by the garbage bags full. I am so blessed to have such giving people surrounding me.

-I also printed out flyers that the girls could hand out to their friends at school.

-The night before the actual event I set up at the organization. A few of the girls actually helped me with this. Between the “Ooohs and the ahhh’s” over the clothing they were going to get to pick out the next night, I got to know them on a personal level. It was SO much fun.

-The night of the event: My sister and I hung out as girls piled in to pick out whatever clothing they wanted for FREE. They could take as much as they wanted-no limits.The joy in their eyes, the smiles on their faces, and the appreciation in their voices as they said “Thank You” was SO worth it.I will never forget that evening and the difference these girls made in my life. There is one thing you need to know

-If I can do this, so can YOU. Please consider it. You will never regret your decision after you realize the difference you are making in the lives of those who so desperately need it. Thank you Ashley for allowing me to share my story with your readers. Thank you Shine Project for making a difference, one life at a time. I cannot wait to see what is yet to come. Oh and hey, stop on over and tell me you saw me here. http://livinginyellow.blogspot.com/It will make me spin in circles, jump up and down, and probably get a little bit nauseous from all of the above that you did.

And in the words of Ashley-“Shine on Sistas!”