On April 10, 2012, Toms is holding its annual "One Day Without Shoes". Most are familiar with Toms, the shoe company that gives away a pair of shoes to a needy child for every pair purchased. "One Day Without Shoes" is an event to spread awareness of the need for shoes by so many children and how shoes keep kids healthy and in school. For example, little bugs called jiggers live in the dust in Kenya. Since most schools have dirt floors and the children do not have shoes, the jiggers dig into their feet. If they are not promptly treated, their feet become infected and too painful to walk upon. This is just one example of the the health risk of not owning shoes. Toms provides children like these with free shoes. My church put a concrete floor in one such school in Kenya on a mission trip, as well as providing medical care to all of the children with jiggers.
"One Day Without Shoes" is a challenge to each of us. If you go barefoot for the day, people will ask you why or simply stare. Tell them why you are doing it. On the website you can print off little cards to hand out to anyone who questions you. In some cases, entire companies have committed to allowing their employees to go without shoes for a day. Unless their is a public health reason that you can't, you can ask your employer about joining. I work in a grocery store, where the health department does not allow bare feet. You can bet I will be barefoot before and after work, though!
To learn more or to commit to a baring your feet on April 10, visit www.onedaywithoutshoes.com . Then involve your whole family to make it more fun. Go for a walk, visit the park, go window shopping! The more people see you barefoot, the more opportunity you will have to tell them why every child needs to own a pair of shoes. Still not motivated? Watch the video below to see how big this movement was last year. Let's make it bigger this year.
This is wonderful!
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