Yesterday, Evan and I took a trip to Alcatraz. This was a very interesting journey, and we had a lot of fun exploring the national park. As history gurus, seeing the old buildings and hearing explanations of what things really looked like 50, 100, 200 years ago, was quite fascinating! What truly strikes me about the experience though, after having some time to think about it, is how close the prison of the early 20th century was to the central hub of San Francisco activity. Only a mile out into the Bay, the Alcatraz federal prison was simultaneously a next door neighbor, and a shunned and forgotten wasteland.
It amazes me how easy it is to forget the plights of our nearest brothers and sisters, in our big picture desires for changing situations and helping others. At St. John's, each year on Founder's Day (the Feast of St. Vincent de Paul on September 27th) we would hold "University Service Day." There were no classes, and every organization, club, faculty group, etc on campus was encouraged to participate. The slogan was "What a Difference a Day Makes." And it's true - unleashing thousands of volunteers in the New York City landscape, hundreds of projects could all be accomplished at once. Organizations had their storage areas sorted and organized, elderly folks had their yards cleared, soup kitchen staff could take a break on the lunch line and clean up duty for a day. Every organization sought out a service experience that fit with the members and purpose of their group. We all wore matching T-shirts, and people would stop and ask us who we were, and what we were about.
A day really can raise awareness, and one person can really make a difference. I recently stumbled on one such awareness campaign, geared towards helping children in Africa (and around the world), that I would like to share with you. It is happening this week, on Tuesday, April 5th!
One Day Without Shoes is a campaign sponsored by TOMS Shoes. The call to action is to go about a normal daily activity on Tuesday, only without shoes! This is such a seemingly strange and out of place idea in this country, and no doubt, people will stop and ask questions. That is how this will raise awareness - every day, thousands of children in this world go without shoes.
Who is TOMS 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 matches 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.
Why Shoes?
Many children in developing countries grow up barefoot. Whether at play, doing chores or going to school, these children are at risk:
•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.
•Wearing shoes also prevents feet from getting cuts and sores. Not only are these injuries painful, they also are dangerous when wounds become infected.
•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.
