Did I Do That?

One for one.

This is the foundation of TOMS Shoes, one of my favorite organizations and footwear.  Just ask my family… This item is always on my Christmas list, part of my birthday wishes, and where my paycheck is spent when I need some new flats.

The company vows to give a pair of shoes to a child in need with every pair bought, sight to someone with every pair of sunglasses purchased through corrective surgery, and books to a school when one buys Blake Mycoskie’s biography.  This is something I wholeheartedly support but often times I find myself wondering, “Do the shoes really make it to the kids?”

TOMS puts out an annual report about their shoe drops with information regarding how many pairs were distributed and where around the world they go.   I have read the reports and am always in astonishment of the numbers but still at the end of the day I ponder whether or not I actually was able to help a child.

In my service thus far I have seen one child wearing a pair of shoes the coveted TOMS that they distribute… The traditional design in black canvas with a thick sole to sustain the rough terrain that covers the land of many developing countries.  I saw this child from afar as I sat in a taxi so I can only hope that I what I saw was the real thing and not my imagination getting the best of me. 

But then it happened.

The other day as I was walking home from work I encountered this bright-eyed young girl, her smile stretching from ear to ear.  I turned my head to see what she was smiling at only to find nothing behind me but a cloud of dust thanks to a passing vehicle.  I smiled back and as we crossed paths I took a peek at her black canvas flats.

They were TOMS.  Even with the signature Argentinean flag stitched on the back.

She skipped away off to her next destination.

Little did I know I would encounter this little girl again wearing her bestowed shoes.  After some fun and games, I found out that Mercy received her shoes thanks to a shoe drop.  It really does work and I have nothing but utmost respect for a company that has such a broad, worldwide vision.

Our impromptu encounters have me believing that the shoes on her feet are thanks to one of the pairs I have on mine.