As a supporter of both FEED and TOMS products, we’re so excited for the special collaboration between FEED and TOMS! Made from FEED’s traditional burlap fabric along with the FEED stamp logo, the FEED 12 TOMS shoe is super cute and available in both Women’s and Children sizes. Buy one for yourself and one for your toddler and together you’ll be the perfect pair.

What we love most about this partnership is that you don’t have to choose between which cause to support - your purchase supports not one but two amazing causes both dedicated to improving the lives of children. For each pair of the FEED 12 TOMS shoe you purchase, one pair of new shoes and 12 school meals are donated to children in need. How amazing is that?

Quantities are limited and can only be purchased online so walk on over (figuratively) to toms.com or feedprojects.com and get yours today!

As we head into the holiday gift-giving season, we thought this would be the perfect time to highlight some of our partners and organizations that we truly admire. We are huge proponents of making a donation in your loved ones name in lieu of a gift, so if you’re up for it, we’re here to help. First up on our list is UNICEF.

UNICEF is a global humanitarian relief organization providing children with health care and immunizations, clean water, nutrition and food security, education, emergency relief, and more in 150 countries around the world.

21,000 children die each day of preventable causes and UNICEF’s Next Gen, a group of young professionals 21-40, volunteer their time and financial resources to reducing that statistic to 0. How? Next Gen committee members, led by Jenna Bush Hager, raise funds to support specific and tangible programs. For example, Next Gen raised $175,000 to support project Sprinkles in Guatemala and $50,000 to provide emergency response in Haiti. Now in its third year, Next Gen has raised over $500,000 for UNICEF programs worldwide.

This past weekend, we joined Next Gen members in New York to learn more about the development of a neonatal center in Ethiopia. In that country, the ratio of doctors to patients is greater than 25,000:1 and 300 babies die each day of preventable causes. When the Government of Ethiopia agreed to fund the construction of a neonatal care unit, Next Gen stepped in to raise $150,000 to equip the center and support the training of health care providers.

For the next project, Next Gen will move to Pakistan, where more than 450,000 children under the age of 5 die from preventable causes each year. To tackle this challenge, UNICEF has developed the Community and Lady Health Worker Program, which trains Pakistani women to spread knowledge about health and nutrition services to their communities. These women literally go door-to-door to inform families about lifesaving immunizations available for their children, they educate pregnant women about antenatal care, and ensure that women in their communities receive proper support during their pregnancies. Next Gen is in the process of raising $75,000 to support the workers, either by providing training or supplying medicine.

The great thing about Next Gen is that the members get to vote! They can either use the $150,000 to provide education packages for over 60,000, supply de-worming tablets for 2 million children, or contribute 11 million water purification tablets! To donate, go to:
https://secure.unicefusa.org/site/Donation2?df_id=9962&9962.donation=form1

koradesigns:

Thakoon’s involvement in philanthropy, particularly in his native Nepal, is incredibly impressive.  His new effort to raise money for famine victims in Somalia is even more so.  Read the Vogue story here for full details.  And spread the word!  Every bit helps.