At Heifer International we know that going barefoot isn’t just a “fashion misstep” for our project families. Going without shoes can lead to real problems, like injuries, hookworm, podoconiosis and jiggers. A lack of shoes can keep children from going to school. Because of this, Heifer International employees are once again participating in TOMS “One Day Without Shoes” today, to bring attention to and show solidarity with the millions of people who live their daily lives of hard work and harsh conditions shoeless.
This year Heifer International’s CEO Cabinet, comprised of Pierre Ferrari, President and CEO; Steve Denne, COO; Bob Bloom, CFO; Cindy Jones-Nyland, Executive Vice President of Marketing and Resource Development; Leesa Ferguson, Vice President of Human Resources; and Rene Rockwell, Executive Office Director will lead the effort to bring awareness and attention to this plight.
“Going without shoes for even a single day won’t feel normal for any of us,” said Jones-Nyland, “but it will serve as a reminder of the extra challenge faced by so many people struggling to scrape by.
“If some people do a double-take when they see us, that’s okay. We hope it will become an opportunity to inform them about the problem of shoelessness in developing countries.”
Stay tuned this afternoon for a reflection from CEO Pierre Ferrari on his experience going shoeless.
