Duchess of Earle invites you to Help the Homeless

Hi, Everybody!

This is the Duchess of Earle, writing to invite you to participate in a fun - though perhaps chilly! - event to raise funds for homeless families on Saturday evening, November 22nd. If you live in or near the western suburbs of Minnesota’s Minneapolis/St. Paul area, you can come join the party, which is sponsored by Interfaith Outreach and Community Partners (IOCP).

In the past decade, you may have heard on the local news about Bob Fisher, who gained some renown as “Shoe Bob.” (This is because he owns Bob’s Shoe Repair shop in the Wayzata Bay Shopping Center.) In the mid- to late-1990s, Shoe Bob began sleeping outside in the late fall to raise funds for the benefit of the needy - specifically those finding themselves without a home. The first time he did it, he brought in $7000. Over the years, he has raised about $9,000,000 to assist struggling families and, in the process, has gotten the whole community involved.

So, what’s going on on November 22nd? Shoe Bob, along with former Minnesota Twins baseball player, Corey Koskie, will be hosting an evening “In the Cars with the Stars.” The fun starts at 8:00 PM with tailgating (bring your own food and your own grill) and lasts through the night. Those who make it through the night sleeping in their cars, as many of the homeless find themselves doing these days, are welcome to celebrate their successful sleepout and the arrival of the morning by having an early breakfast with Bob and Corey.

As a sleepout participant, you can get sponsors to contribute an hourly amount or a lump sum in support of your effort - that’s one way to raise funds. Another way is to bring others along with you. IOCP reports that it takes about $569 to assist a family for 1-2 months while they get back on their feet and this is what you’ll be helping provide for families in need.

To register for the event, please contact Jill at the IOCP. Her email is: jkohler@iocp.org; the phone number of IOCP is 952-404-9388. And when you contact her, please tell her the Duchess of Earle sent you!