Support a Sole Project

Accessibility is one of the major pillars that I run Heart and Sole Fitness and Wellness on–and I’ve worked tirelessly since its inception to ensure my ideal clients not only understand they are worthy of access to fitness, wellness, accountability, and health services that they desire and connect them to it if I am not the one that is the right fit, but also work to breakdown the barriers that stand in the way of accessibility to those services. In large part, I have been successful in this endeavor, but there’s two areas of accessibility here at Heart and Sole Fitness & Wellness that need some solutions, and I’m inviting you today to be a part of this radical solution.

There’s always going to be people that fall through the cracks in life, I have been keenly aware of that for the better part of my life in my previous career, but through the COVID-19 pandemic I have seen too many individuals have to sacrifice care of themselves through the services of Heart and Sole Fitness & Wellness because they have:

• Contracted COVID-19 (themselves or a family member) and not been able to renew ongoing contracts due to healing/contagion
• Financial constraints due to COVID-19 in lost jobs, reduced hours, etc and we have been unsuccessful in matching their benefits, getting them enrolled in other wellness benefit programs to cover services, or working on an equitable sliding scale to make services possible
• Childcare expenses due to children being home have taken priority over individual self care so the parent can remain employed

I could list other reasons, but these are the main topics that I deal with. When I am not able to empower a client to break that accessibility barrier, I am not doing my job. It is not only heartbreaking that an ideal client is going without services, it is affecting the operating expenses of small business that has been open weeks shy of a year in the midst of COVID-19 and my avenues of client lead, acquisition, retention, and networking all had to be pivoted extremely quickly as the world shut down within a month of opening for business. Accessibility has had a huge impact on Heart and Sole Fitness & Wellness in being such a young business, that I have not been eligible for federal grant and loan monies, not eligible for many of the mainstream grants from agencies such as The National Chamber of Commerce and The Better Business Bureau, and I have applied for over 30 large and small grant, service, and program opportunities with no support to date. I am beyond grateful for my clients, the collaborations, and the communities that I am able to be of service in each and every day to provide people with the ability to reach their wellness goals, but in order to continue honoring that value of accessibility, I have had it laid upon my heart to try something radical here at Heart and Sole Fitness & Wellness.

Enter… the Support a Sole Project

While many people have gone through hardship during the COVID-19 pandemic, there have been many others that continue to thrive in their situations and are in a position to pay it forward in different ways toward individuals and small business. This is a grassroots crowdfunding opportunity to cut out the fees and expenses of other internet platforms that take a piece of the generosity your gift to support others in achieving their goals so they can empower others is meant for. The ripple effect is HUGE here. If you know my story, you know the power of taking that step out in faith, the support of others, and how it comes full circle to help make a greater impact on those that need YOU most (and if you don’t know my story, let’s chat!)

Here’s how the Support a Sole Project works:

• You make a financial gift that you feel led to make via Paypal just by going to https://www.paypal.com/biz/fund?id=3623L2FRSN9C8
• For the first $5,000 raised–50% will go to the Support a Sole Project Fund for direct client services to bring in those clients that are experiencing hardship in accessing services from Heart and Sole Fitness & Wellness and 50% will go toward the operating expenses of Heart and Sole Fitness & Wellness LLC
• After the initial $5,000 is raised–85% of gifted funds will go to the Support a Sole Project Fund for direct client services for those experiencing hardship who cannot access services with Heart and Sole Fitness & Wellness through other means and 15% of funds will be used for operating expenses and ongoing support services (contracted services from other small businesses) of Heart and Sole Fitness & Wellness LLC
• Weekly updates, client impact, and full accounting will be available on the upcoming landing page for the Support a Sole Project that will be live this weekend. Transparency and integrity is the name of the game.

This is something that is important to me and I feel a great sense of urgency to move out to the masses immediately. Coming this afternoon will be a video that explains more in-depth the Support a Sole Project, and this weekend I’ll launch a formal landing page on my website–but I did not want to delay any longer. I ask if nothing else that you share this post far and wide, ask questions, and share with those that have a heart for the mission of the work of Heart and Sole Fitness & Wellness.

I am stepping out in excitement and faith in this endeavor that together we are going to do something BIG to make an impact on people’s live that need some hope the most. Let’s do this!