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Great News: We’re Giving More Shoes in the USA

Posted  on February 8, 2012  by Giving //
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Giving TOMS Shoes in the USAWe’re excited to share more about TOMS shoe giving programs right here at home, in the United States. 
 

Did you know? Nearly half of Native American children live in poverty, making rural reservation communities home to the some of the poorest minority groups in the United States. With the help of National Relief Charities, children living on Native American reservations are now getting the shoes they need to help protect their feet.*

We’ve spent the last year with National Relief Charities (NRC) learning about Native American reservation communities and the need for shoes. We learned that many of these families live in isolated, rural communities and that they struggle for access to fresh food, health care, jobs, clothing and basic supplies. The drive to work, grocery stores and health care centers can take two to three hours. 

The shoes we give to these children are sometimes the first pair of well-fitting shoes they’ve ever owned. New shoes give them confidence in school, something echoed by our Giving Partners abroad. NRC tells us the parents are often active participants, allowing the TOMS distribution to become a community affair.

Our partnership with NRC is something we’re proud of and excited for.  As with all of our global shoe-giving, we carefully vet and select Giving Partners based on both their approach to responsible giving (community involvement, integration with other programs and impacts, and sustainable giving over time), and on their logistical capabilities (usually organizations that work with a large number of children). Interested organizations – in the U.S. and around the world – can always get in touch with us at www.TOMS.com/GivingPartners

Check out more images of TOMS shoe-giving with NRC on the TOMS Facebook page
Learn more about 
National Relief Charities

*Source:
 nces.ed.gov