Join us in Supporting
Angelina Jordan in Her Mission
Labors of Love for AJ is a YouTube channel created by Steve Ackerman, Barry Sowder, and Elise MacElveen on October 4th, 2023. The channel is dedicated to supporting Angelina Jordan through the efforts of her fans, who are called Angels.
Our starting point is her mission . . .
Our New Site Is Coming Soon
Be
the First
to Know
Frequently asked questions
There are 3 main purposes for the Go Barefoot for Princess Challenge:
- Remembering Princess and others in need, especially children
- Adopting Angelina’s cause as our own, and
- Spreading the word about Angelina
Here is some more helpful background:
When Angelina introduced Princess of Ruins at her 2/29/24 Las Vegas concert, she said the song was about giving “back to all children in need. I will always do that”.
Angelina sings about Princess that “the people didn't care about her”, and that she was “a goddess with no one to help her.” Further, “It's like I'm standing in the street, in the cold with bare feet….I’ll push through it….I’ll carry the crown for you”.
We invite you, with other Angels, to answer this call for empathy . . .
. . . Angelina's gift of empathy, however, allows her to naturally experience what another person is experiencing. For most of us Angels, we have to work harder at it. How? One good practice would be to walk in the bare feet of another to catch a glimpse, or perhaps more, of what their less fortunate life might be like.
Imagine what life would be like if we had no shoes, no parents, and lived in ruins – or were otherwise disadvantaged.
This sense of empathy seems like a necessary first step for us to feel. It can motivate us to take action to help the less fortunate – to “carry the crown for them”.
The tattoo designs are inspired by the lyrics of Princess of Ruins and Angelina's book Between Two Hearts.
We challenged ourselves to sum up that story in two tattoos -- one for the left foot and one for the right.
The first tattoo depicts:
- Angelina and Princess meeting
- Angelina giving Princess her shoes, and
- That Princess literally lives in ruins.
The second tattoo portrays the dreams they shared:
- Angelina singing for the whole world.
- Princess becoming a doctor.
- The castle symbolizes their dreams coming true.
Think of the handouts as a bridge between you and someone who may be interested in why you're barefoot and/or is intrigued by Angelina -- or anybody you can strike up a conversation with.
You can also read aloud or memorize the story on the back and tell it to people.
Also on the front is a QR code which will take them to Angelina performing Princess of Ruins.
On the back is a QR code which will take them to the rest of the unfinished Princess of Ruins story on the smaller handout. (That story is complete on the big flyer though.0
That same QR code also takes them to:
- Our three recommended charities in case they're interested in giving,
- Links to Angelina's social media in case they want to know more about her or dive into the rabbit hole.
You are encouraged to give handouts to those you have a conversation with so they can scan them at leisure if they don't have the time right then.
That depends on what you are doing during your challenge.
If you are doing volunteer work, that should be a pretty easy conversation to strike up. You can ask other volunteers what brought them there which will lead you to share what inspired you to volunteer there . . . as Angelina would, listen to them carefully and empathize with them before sharing your story.
It's often natural for us to be thinking of what we want to say next -- instead of listening carefully with empathy. That is something that can be learned through practice such as role-playing. If a friend or family member is willing to play the role of a fellow volunteer so that you can practice your active listening and sharing skills -- that will be very helpful,
And don't worry about any false starts or feeling a little self-conscious during practice. After all, that is what practice is for -- to get past the possible awkwardness and find an authentic approach that feels natural for you.
Anyone who wants to can email us at support@laborsoflove4aj.com to schedule a Zoom call to practice your communication skills in this novel situation. One of us will practice with you and even offer a little coaching if you'd like. Zoom calls will be set up on a first-come, first-served basis.
TIP: If you wish, you can use the handouts to tell about the meaning of the Go Barefoot for Princess Challenge that you are on. They will then have something that they can take home with them.
The smaller handouts are the main ones you will use.
In case you run short of the smaller ones, we have sent you a file in the email for the larger flyer. You can use that file to print out flyers for your use if needed. We sent you the larger sample so you can see:
1. That it needs to be printed on front and back and
2. On a good stock of paper so that the black ink will not bleed through. (Regular copy paper won't work well at all).
And its possible that our mailing won't get through to you in time. If that's the case, you can print out the file so that you aren't empty-handed during the Challenge.
If you do want to print out some flyers, we recommend, if possible, to send the file to a local office supply store such as Staples or Office Depot and have them print them for you.
You can either submit the order online at the store's website or go in and visit the store and order there.
If you make your order at the store, you will then be able to forward the email with the file to the store from your phone as you make the order. They may be able to print it as you wait.
IMPORTANT: Take along the sample so they can see the type of paper it should be printed on.
Here is an online form where you can submit your photos and videos. We will send you an email with the link as well.
Sara has liked the Go Barefoot for Princess Challenge on a Facebook fan group. Twice. She chose the 👍 to express her feelings about it.
Mery has reposted our video about the Challenge on one of her two TikTok channels.
Angelina's family acknowledgement of a fan initiative that hasn't even taken place yet seems very rare, if not unheard of. We're quite happy the family knows about the Challenge and seems to approve. We hope they are pleased once they see what actually took place the day of the Challenge - which is at least a part of the reason for the importance of your photos and video.
Yes, we are! We are also encouraging everyone who does not yet have an Instagram or TikTok account to create one and post the videos and/or photos from your Challenge experience.
We know some of you may think this new social media is too much for you to take on. (See the note at the end of this answer).
Here is why we encourage you to push yourself and take on the social media aspect of this challenge anyway:
- First, once you have done it you may be surprised and pleased how much your "small" social media presence may benefit Angelina and her causes.
- Second, think of it as a crucial part of the Challenge that goes beyond the one hour.
Here are some videos that will show you how to set up these social media accounts and post to them. You can do it!
Some hashtags:
#gobarefootforprincess
#angelinajordan (on TikTok)
#angelinajordana (on Instagram)
NOTE: If you would like some direct help setting up your social media accounts, please email us at: support@laborsoflove4aj.com
Please paste this into the subject line:
I need help with social media
We will get back to you!
We don't believe anyone is too old to show their appreciation of Angelina and her music. And even if you feel otherwise, it would be great if you would participate anyway! We're going to be reaching out to younger folks too so we hope there will be a wide range of ages, genders, and cultural backgrounds represented.
This is mostly about showing our love and appreciation to Angelina for a decade of wonderful music, as well as increasing a sense of community among us fans/angels. We don't think it matters to her or others the age of those expressing their heartfelt sentiments.
Ask a friend or relative who has done something like this before to help you. You might meet them at your home or at a nice place where you can stand in the daytime in full shade. Have them use their phone to video you.
Ask them to email you the video(s) which should be about 5 to 10 seconds long each. And then follow our instructions to send them to us.
Optionally, the person who videos you can send it to us. You will need to supply them the information on uploading.
The plan is that all of these videos will be shown beside Angelina's performance of Gloomy Sunday. Her audio will be around 50% lower than usual so that all the angels 2 words can be heard. But it's possible that the singing could be too much of a contrast with Angelina singing, so we need a short video of you saying the words as well.
TIP: If you want to submit a video where you sing your 2 words, try singing them the way Angelina sings when she sings the words "gloomy Sunday." If you know how to harmonize with her, you could try that. We will try to sync your singing to her singing. If it works well, you could end up singing "with" Angelina!