High School South: Shoeless Students with a Purpose

With the health and safety of students in mind, bare feet are generally not allowed in the halls of Middletown High School South. However, on a seemingly routine Tuesday morning, 45 students showed up to school without their shoes, and did so with the school’s blessing.

The students were in good company that day, as thousands of people across 25 countries took part in "One Day Without Shoes," a global social awareness campaign organized by the charity-focused shoe company, TOMS Shoes. 

The event, which was publicized on the TOMS Web site, challenged people to go an entire day without wearing shoes. The participants, coming all walks of life (including AOL chairman and CEO, Tim Armstrong), kicked off their shoes in support of people who cannot afford a pair of their own.

This unique community service event was introduced to Middletown South by senior Eliza Brennessel.  The idea appealed to Brennessel as a way toget her classmates involved and thinking about those less fortunate."My goal for this whole event was to just start a great conversation and bring awareness to the impact we can have on a child's life."

For Brennessel, helping children in need is a cause close to her heart.  As a 1-year-old, she was adopted from the Ukraine by her American parents.  With no record of her birth parents, or even her birth date, Brennessel acknowledges that her life in Ukraine would have likely been filled with difficulty.  

She appreciates how fortunate she was to be adopted and empathizes with those less fortunate.  “I definitely feel connected to children in difficult situations, and I think it's, in a way, my social responsibility to help children who have not been awarded the same fate as me," she said.  "I think maybe I'm a child of the world, and it just makes sense to want to give that back."

That was also the goal of TOMS Shoes founder, Blake Mycoskie.  As described on the TOMS Shoes website, he started the unconventional shoe company in 2006 with the mission of improving the lives of children.  At the heart of this for-profit business is its "One for One" program. 

For every pair of their signature canvas shoes purchased, TOMS donates a pair of brand new shoes to a child in need. Adding a personal element, they also coordinate "shoe drops," where volunteers can travel with the company to deliver the shoes to the children in person.  Millions of impoverished children in 23 countries (including Argentina, Ethiopia and even the United States) have benefited from TOMS Shoes' generous business model.

In communities where walking is the primary method of transportation, and health care is not readily available, shoes help prevent the spread of dangerous, dsoil-transmitted diseases and limit infections caused by cuts and scrapes on bare feet. 

In addition, since many school dress codes require shoes to be worn, owning a pair can grant children access to an education which they may not have had before.
By providing something as simple as shoes, TOMS attempts to offer children the tools to improve their lives.

In addition to directly helping millions of children worldwide, the TOMS movement directs the attention of consumers to the issue of poverty across the globe.  The "One Day Without Shoes" event took it one step further, challenging people to go without a comfort they may normally take for granted.

Having been a TOMS customer for years, Brennessel felt compelled to participate in the event and wanted her classmates to join her.  After proposing it to her fellow National Honor Society members, she approached school administrators, who responded favorably and granted the students permission.  Their one condition was that the participants were required to wear socks with treads, to reduce the risk of slips and falls.

Recently, earlier in the month (April 5), dozens of students left their shoes at home. They were motivated by both compassion and curiosity, and their experiences were eye-opening.

Jess Asfar, a junior, gained some insight into the physical risks faced by those who don’t own shoes. "I had to walk outside to gym class and it was wet and rainy," she said. "I risked stepping on glass and whatever else lay on the ground.  The hardest part was wondering exactly what I was stepping on (or in)."

Going without shoes helped Asfar appreciate how valuable they are.  "We are unaware of how lucky we are to have shoes," she added. "They protect our feet from water, gum, other people's clumsy feet; we should be grateful for our shoes."

"The hardest part for me was the abnormal feeling of walking around school without shoes while everyone else was wearing them. It made me feel like an outsider," said senior Dave Elkhatib. "I chose to participate because there are thousands of children who walk around every day without shoes, no matter what surface or weather. This event helped me feel what that’s like."

Junior Mike Sebastiano also felt compelled to participate so he could relate to those less fortunate. "I love putting myself in other peoples shoes (or in this case not) and trying to empathize with their situation," he said.

Eliza hopes to one day participate in one of TOMS Shoes shoe drops and see the faces of the children she helps.

If you are interested in learning more about how you can help the TOMS
Shoes movement, visit www.toms.com.