The opening night started the weekend off with a bang. We screen printed custom Shoe Drop t-shirts with maps of Shoe Drop locations, parachutes, and more. It was a HUGE success,  and everyone took home their own custom shirt. My personal favorite will always be the TOMS shoes parachutes. I’d decorate all over with those little parachutes!

Blake also gave a very inspiring speech to the group and past Shoe Dropper Olivia made the cutest cake  imaginable.

The Shoe Drop staff from Argentina even flew up from Buenos Aires to join us. We couldn’t be happier to see Alejo, Pablo and Pepe around HQ, especially since this is Pepe’s first time in the United States!

It was wonderful to share TOMS headquarters and Santa Monica with all of our extended Shoe Drop Family in such a fun way. Sharing memories, stories and new ideas is such a refreshing experience. Someone mentioned how we all share a great common bond… and they were certainly right.

Thanks so much to everyone who made the trip, can’t wait for next time! Don’t stay away too long guys!

-Kelli

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The weekend starts this evening here at HQ. We will screen print some t-shirts, eat some delicious dinner and get a chance to hear what’s new and exciting in everyone’s lives.

Tomorrow, the team is volunteering with Coastal Clean Up in the morning and finishing up the day with an awesome picnic on the beach! Can’t wait to share the beauty of the Santa Monica coast with so many people who have never been here.

Its wonderful to know our family of Shoe Drop volunteers continues to grow every year. Having personally been on a Shoe Drop myself in 2008, I know the experience of personally giving a child his or her first pair of shoes- a pair that fit, a pair they love- is undeniably a life changing experience… something you can only imagine until you have the wonderful opportunity to share in that moment. But each of our experiences as a Shoe Drop volunteer are uniquely different too, which makes me so eager to chat with other volunteers this weekend!

With less than 12 hours to go, all of us at TOMS are looking forward to their arrival. We’ll be tweeting this weekend too, so make sure to follow Friends of TOMS on Twitter @FriendsofTOMS.

- Kelli

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“There was a big storm that last night, we enjoyed an amazing lightening show like only the southern hemisphere could perform. It was amazing.

Another photo from the Shoe Drop yesterday here. We’ve had to wait today because of the storms… The red clay roads and rain make it difficult to get around… Hence the need for zapatos!”

Giving shoes

Students writing Thank You notes

A student with his new TOMS shoes!

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The GMA piece will air some time between 8am and 9am tomorrow September 3rd. Don’t forget to tune in!

For more photos, visit TOMS on Facebook.

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With that being said, the deadline has come and passed and two winners have been chosen. In 1 month and 7 days, these two winning individuals will meet their fellow volunteers from Element, TOMS, Fuel TV, and other participants from around the US. They touch down in Durban South Africa and exchange their feelings of anticipation excitement. They will walk outside the airport doors, board a van to the outskirts, and embark on an unforgettable adventure.

To the winners: Your entries blew us away. TOMS and Element are proud to have you on board, and we can’t wait to meet you…

CONGRATULATIONS Nate Eckhert and Marco Barbosa! Their entries after the jump…

Marco Barbosa:

Because it‚s not a complicated task to live our lives collecting victories and keeping them to ourselves.  There is also no challenge required to close your eyes to reality and live a fulfilled life that concerns only your needs.

Each life was created with a unique experience to be shared among others.  The voice of people in need has echoed through too many generations.  I believe it is my obligation to understand the effects of poverty in the world we live in and to help to plant the seeds for change.  If I can not make a difference in somebody else‚s life what is the purpose of my own?  What will my accomplishments be if they  are restricted only to myself and to those I know?

When I saw the ad about Toms Shoes during the Blackberry commercial,  I had no idea who he was or the core of his business.  My life was touched immediately by his commitment to these children.  Soon after, I found myself collecting information about the shoe drop.  For some reason I was scared thinking about being involved in such an important mission.  I knew I had to move forward with my plans, but I remained aprehensive.  I showed my wife and asked her opinion about it.  She was as excited about the Tom/Element connection as I was.  She then commented on how this project, as well as its participants were a perfect match for me.‰Wow, this is exactly who you are. This speaks to all of your talents!,‰ she said.

I want to make a difference, man.  I want to tell my kids (4 years and 3 months old) where Dad was, with whom dad was and why Dad was there. I want my children to have the same passion growing inside their hearts.  It is my wish, and God knows me well enough to undertand my reasons regarding this issue.

I came from Brazil in 1999 and I have seen what poverty can do to a child.  I know how a life can be affected or in most of the scenarios – taken away.  In 2006 I started a business with one single goal, to be a blessing.  To inspire people through what a man full of dreams and faith can do.  For me, it‚s about how many lives can be touched and how that faith can be passed on.  I want to be the one to invite people to go with me during the process.  Going to South Africa would give me one more reason to believe that it is possible and that this seed growing within me is about to create new roots.  I need to see those little eyes and learn with them.  I need to place the shoes on their feet.  I need to see them running with them.  I want to see them flying to the other side of the ramp or picking themselves up after a stunt crash.

Among all of the causes that I have searched through, this one is by far the closest to the path that my soul was designed to pursue.  I have no doubts that I want to be part of this tremendous opportunity.  It‚s got to be now.  It can‚t wait until tomorrow.  At this point I just can‚t look back.  My life was made to live in abundance not just for my victories but more importantly, in the victories of others (especially if their running in shoes).

Nate Eckhart:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q0sTu0cJVHo&feature=related

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New Orleans though, was the perfect opportunity for me to see the ultimate result of my work. It was an incredible experience in that respect. To put shoes on the feet of children and know that the little things that I do, combined with the little things the team back at HQ do, can have such a undeniably profound effect on so many individuals and even an entire city or region.

The schools we visited were amazing. As inspiring as the TOMS movement is, the individuals that facilitated our drops – the teachers and administrators who worked at the New Orleans schools – were equal heroes in my mind. They welcomed us into their schools with open arms, and it was quickly evident that they are working toward many of the same goals we have at TOMS. They are trying to impact as many people as possible in a positive way. It was inspiring to see people devote their time and energy to creating a culture of learning that is undeniably going to help so many children do amazing things in the future.

One child told me that he had seen the AT&T commercial and wanted to go to a different country to help Blake. I was floored to learn firsthand, just how far-reaching our message has become and realized that we could very well be putting shoes on the feet of future Chief Shoe Givers. And why stop at Chief Shoe Giver? One student told me that he put an American flag on his shoes because he planned on being the President of the United States.These teachers are really doing everything they can to make these kinds of goals a reality, equipping these children with everything they need to succeed, despite not having the opportunities or resources that other schools in the country might have.

I was amazed at the sheer quantity of shoes that we were going through at times, and I realized why we work so hard at HQ to promote our products and our movement. Because of the generosity of TOMS supporters, we were able to not just help out some children at these schools, but all of them. It felt great to really do a job right and leave knowing that you touched every student in at least a small way. I will never forget my experience, and the spirit of New Orleans and its people will have a lasting impact on all the work I do for TOMS in the future. This is a city that may need help, but it is also a city filled with people who are willing to roll up their sleeves and commit to making it a better New Orleans every day. I’m lucky to have been a small part of that.

Shamus Eaton
Editorial Assistant – Creative Department – TOMS Shoes HQ

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Win a spot on the TOMS + Element Shoe + Board Drop this October! Deadline is August 15th, so sharpen your writing skills and submit your essay today!

click here to go to the application.

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Check out serve.gov today and get involved. Ask your entire communities involved. Together we are making this world a better place!

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Since Ben Katz first purchased TOMS on May 5, 2006
Customers have continued to impact the lives of children around the world
Our staff has grown from 1 to 41
We’ve been privileged to work with the over 600 of the best interns a company could ever hope for
Countless generous people opened their homes to host the Vagabonds
TOMS work in Ethiopia has already helped over 15,000 children
This year alone, over 47,000 worldwide participated in One Day Without Shoes
TOMS has hosted domestic Shoe Drops in Mississippi, Kentucky and Louisiana as well as abroad

Celebrate and get involved:

1. Wear your TOMS May 5 and share our story
2. Volunteer in your community
3. Post your volunteer photos and videos to Facebook, YouTube, or MySpace
4. Show kindness to everyone you meet…even if its a simple smile!

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Students in New Orleans, LA were fitted with their own pair of new TOMS shoes this past week. They put marker to canvas to design a special pair for themselves, and ran around all afternoon on the playground with the volunteers.

With some families in New Orleans still rebuilding their homes (both figuratively and literally), providing new shoes was a special way for TOMS to bring joy into the community. Even at the school level, it is common for staff to purchase clothes, shoes, and other necessities for their students out of their own pocket. When asked about the need for shoes, the school’s social worker spoke of several kids walking on the heels of their shoes, not because they were too lazy to put them on properly, but because the shoes were too small and hurt their feet.

Although the language barrier creates a unique connection between volunteer and child on an Argentina Shoe Drop, its an entirely different experience when you can ask the child what their favorite cartoon character is or what they like to do on the weekend. You see these children in such a familiar environment, engaging with one another in such a familiar way, and yet some are in need of a new pair of shoes. It’s empowering to help these children whom we share our culture, our heritage, and our country with.

We will return to New Orleans this fall and continue to bring awareness to the need for shoes here in the States. Thank you for making happy feet and smiling faces possible all around the world!

Ana Maria

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