16 Cents, 3 Shoes and 5 Socks Blog
















































Sometimes, the simplest things can make all the difference and change a life. Just ask Transitions Board Member Sheila Leslie. She heard the call for 16 new mattresses at the Transitional Living Center and answered. Tuesday, the 16 cents, 3 Shoes & 5 Socks delivery truck arrived loaded with new mattresses for the center’s 16 independent apartments.
“We can be part of the solution or part of the problem,” said Sheila. “Any way we can help women to be self-sufficient is part of the solution.”
“Having all brand-new mattresses is huge and something we've never done before,” said Transitions Development Director Jessica Burke. She remembers Sheila’s reaction during a board meeting when she first heard talk of new mattresses. “She said, I will buy them. All of them,” said Jessica.
Both know how critical a fresh start can be. The Transitional Living Center welcomes women and children. The independent living apartments are a safe place for women escaping domestic violence, exiting drug or alcohol treatment, or searching to find a way out of homelessness.
“You do not see women who are homeless as often. But it does not mean they are not there. It just means they are hiding, sleeping in their cars, or couch surfing,” explained Jessica.
Both Jessica and Sheila believe in fresh starts. They understand too well how many women caught in transition need to feel safe, valued, and on the path to self-sufficiency. “The mission of Transitions is to welcome someone in a clean environment where they feel safe,” said Sheila. “Part of feeling safe is feeling healthy. So, having a new, clean mattress in a good, safe environment gives them a good foundation to solve whatever led them to Transitions in the first place."
Thank you, Sheila, for your compassion in supporting women in transition.