Special-edition, Congolese-inspired TOMS Shoes
We're teaming up with Giving Partner Eastern Congo Initiative (ECI), an advocacy and grant-making organization founded by Ben Affleck, on two Congolese-inspired designs with an additional give. Read More >>
TOMS x charity: water - An Eyewer collaboration
TOMS and charity: water, an organization founded in 2006 (like TOMS!) that’s dedicated to to helping bring clean and safe drinking water to people in developing nations, join forces for the first-ever TOMS Eyewear collab! Read More >>
Giving TOMS Shoes in the DRC
Founded by Ben Affleck in 2010, ECI is an advocacy and grant-making organization that works with and for the people of DRC, the third most populous country in Africa, and one that struggled under a cycle of violence for nearly 20 years – particularly in the east. Read More >>
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Getting Glasses to Children in New York with ChildSight®
Each year, more than 2 million children in the United States have uncorrected refractive errors. To help address this need, TOMS Sight Giving Partner Helen Keller International’s ChildSight®program travels to public schools from California to New York to screen children on-site and determine their vision needs. Within a week’s time, they deliver new prescription eyeglasses to those who need them.
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Profiles in One for One: Hector Gets New Glasses
Hector, 12, is an eager sixth-grader here in Los Angeles, with a knack for math. When he grows up, he hopes to be a veterinarian or play soccer, his favorite sport, professionally.
Not too long ago, Hector was having trouble seeing the blackboard, and was struggling in classes although he had the skills to succeed. Hector knew he needed glasses, but had broken his last pair and wasn’t able to replace them because of his family’s financial constraints. When he could, Hector would borrow his older sister’s glasses, and although that didn’t correct his vision, he thought a little bit of help was better than nothing.
When ChildSight®, the domestic program of TOMS Sight Giving Partner Helen Keller International (HKI), visited Hector’s school, he was given a screening to test his vision. Since he failed this test, Hector also received a full eye exam including refraction, with what he called the “big glasses that looked like ‘Transformers.’”
“I looked like a robot with them on,” Hector said.
After his exam, he and his classmates picked out new frames. “As they put those lenses on me, I could see more clearly! It made me excited [to pick out my new glasses]!”
Nancy Prail, HKI’s Director of ChildSight®, explained that letting children choose their own frames helps them embrace wearing glasses, which can be a challenge for middle school students who are sensitive to the opinions of their peers. They’ve found that this self-selection helps break the stigma. Hector chose new glasses with red and black frames.
“I’m excited to see the board much better, and playing sports will be much easier,” Hector shared. “I won’t have to squint or squeeze my eyes or sit in the front all of the time.”
Thank you for helping us support our Giving Partners in making it happen. Let’s continue to help restore sight – we’re aiming to help 100,000 people this summer. Join us!
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TOMS is Helping Give Sight to Children in the U.S.
As TOMS sight giving continues in Nepal, Tibet and Cambodia, we are very happy to share that TOMS Eyewear purchases are now helping restore sight to children in the United States as well!
TOMS is excited to partner with Helen Keller International’s (HKI) ChildSight® program to help provide prescription glasses to children living in impoverished U.S. communities. Since 1994, ChildSight® has provided vision screening and prescription eyeglasses to at-risk students living in urban and rural communities in cities like New York, Los Angeles, Cleveland and the Navajo Nation. TOMS Eyewear is proud to join them in helping provide new glasses to children.
