Saturday, May 5, 2012

TOMS

We had the privilege recently of participating in a TOMS Shoes Gifting to the children of St. Helene. TOMS did not allow photography so we have no pictures to share with you, but the mental images will stay in my mind forever. Children we have come to know and love came out of their classrooms wearing shoes with holes in them, some with their feet hanging off both ends of worn-out sandals. They took a seat in one of the 10 chairs lined up on the portico, and they were fitted for a brand new pair of shoes! Something I'm sure they have never experienced before.

Can we even begin to comprehend the significance of a new pair of shoes? It starts simply with the protection from injury and disease, but grows to include the more subjective but real aspect of self-esteem. It was a gift to see the looks on the children's faces when they received their gift of a brand new pair of shoes!

In one day, roughly 320 pairs of shoes were given to children on the island of St. Helene. During the week in Roatan, over 2000 children received shoes!! And the really great news for those who don't know, is that once you're on the TOMS Gifting list, their commitment is to come back every 6 months to keep children in shoes that fit as they continue to grow!

We are so grateful to TOMS Shoes for their incredible program, and to Vivian Chahin and her family - especially Andrea - for bringing the TOMS Gifting program to Honduras, and now St. Helene!