MV TOMS, a club focused on donating shoes to children living in poverty, had its first meeting on April 1
It’s the little things we take for granted—like the shoes on our feet.
On April 1, MV TOMS held its first meeting in room B210.The club focuses on raising awareness of TOMS Shoes, a philanthropic business founded by entrepreneur Blake Mycoskie in 2006. TOMS Shoes centers around the one-to-one movement, in which for every pair of shoes bought, a pair will be donated to a child in need.The experience that inspired Mycoskie to create TOMS has in turn inspired junior Justin Hsiung to bring the movement to our school.
“I looked more into the background of the shoes and I learned that Mycoskie founded it to help children in need, because he went to Africa and he noticed that there were blisters and swelling on people’s feet,” Hsiung said. “I thought it was a touching story.”
The club already has many activities in mind for the future, such as a ‘Souls for Soles’ event in which members would design TOMS shoes purchased by the club at a community location like Nordstrom or Whole Foods. MV TOMS also seeks to host community screenings, using documentaries from the official TOMS site.
On top of these events, MV TOMS will also provide community service opportunities. However, since MV TOMS focuses on the TOMS’ ideals rather than general community service, the club plans to make every activity count towards raising awareness of TOMS. Some of the service projects MV TOMS hopes to have include setting up booths in the mall to inform people about TOMS and the one-to-one movement. Hours will not be an incentive for community service.
“We have a point system, in which instead of offering hours as an incentive, the amount of points you get will give you some [that incentive],” secretary junior Sabrina Chuang said.
The club simply looks for dedication, devotion, and passion from its members.
“Everyone who joins TOMS is really supportive of the movement, not like ‘Oh, I need community service hours’—we hope it makes the club more effective,” secretary junior Iris Liu said.
MV TOMS meets biweekly on Friday in B210 at lunch.
