TOMs
An organization dedicated to donating shoes to children all across the world who do not own shoes.
“In 2006, American traveler Blake Mycoskie befriended children in Argentina and found they had no shoes to protect their feet. Wanting to help, he created TOMS Shoes, a company that would match every pair of shoes purchased with a pair of new shoes given to a child in need. One for One. Blake returned to Argentina with a group of family, friends and staff later that year with 10,000 pairs of shoes made possible by TOMS customers.”[1]
What would it be like to grow up without shoes? What most people do not know is how many children grow up without ever owning a pair of shoes. Day to day walking around barefoot: cuts, bruising and diseases easily transmitted from the soil the children walk on without any form of protection.
Imagine:
•A leading cause of disease in developing countries is soil-transmitted diseases, which can penetrate the skin through bare feet. Wearing shoes can help prevent these diseases, and the long-term physical and cognitive harm they cause.[2]
•Wearing shoes also prevents feet from getting cuts and sores. Not only are these injuries painful, they also are dangerous when wounds become infected.[3]
•Many times children can't attend school barefoot because shoes are a required part of their uniform. If they don't have shoes, they don't go to school. If they don't receive an education, they don't have the opportunity to realize their potential.[4]
So if you happen to have some extra money, or want to buy someone a gift, a pair of TOMs shoes would be a gift worth giving, one not only for the person you love, but for a child in need.
April 5th, 2011 is a day without shoes. It is a day where people who support the cause take off their shoes to raise awareness of how much no shoes impact so many children’s lives.
I am hoping you will join me in raising awareness. God calls us to disciple around the not just the nation, but the world. We need to reach out to those across the world, and what better way than to share our love and support with other countries, showing how much we love their children and want them to live healthy lives with the opportunities of education. Help me get the word out about TOMs shoes, and even the day without shoes.
Only 59 days away. How many people can you tell by then?
Good:)
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