Have you ever heard of TOMS? Today, there are several business underway which match social concerns as a for profit organization. TOMS is such an organization. They undertake a One for One™ approach: Buy a pair of shoes, and TOMS gives one to someone in need, sometimes someone who has never owned a pair of shoes. Since September 2010, TOMS has given away over one million shoes to those in need.
What TOMS does is a great sustainable model, balancing mission and profit in its truest sense. It is pairing business and healing… similar to the health care discussion from last week’s post.
OK. Time to get to the point of this. This is the movement part.
Three years ago, TOMS started an awareness campaign about the number people without shoes. This is how One Day Without Shoes began. It started with 16,000 people growing to 60,000 people and, last year, about 250,000 participated by not wearing shoes for the day!
To hear directly from Blake Mycoskie, founder of TOMS, talk about One Day Without Shoes, watch the video at Wired magazine.
Why should we care?
- Did you know most children in developing countries grow up barefoot?
- Did you know some children walk without shoes for miles each day, and they can often not attend school without proper footwear?
- In Ethiopia, approximately 1 million people are suffering from a debilitating disease called podoconiosis, which is 100% preventable with basic hygiene and shoes.
As a member of the health care and technology social media community, we are joining the movement, and we would like to challenge our readers and colleagues to join the April 5 event by doing two things:
First, on April 5, don’t wear shoes! Whether it is for an hour, seven hours, or the whole day, do it! Start the conversation, and raise the awareness.
Second, join this event as a health care and technology community. Go to the One Day Without Shoes website and RSVP to the HL7 Standards event. Let’s join together as a community, and show our strength in numbers.
Let’s raise awareness by spending some time on April 5 without our shoes.
This is not a fundraiser. It is a participation-raiser. More people involved equals more awareness. Join in — RSVP today.
Related posts:
- Health Care Social Media – My Confession
- An #HITsm Valentine
- Top 10 Twitter Feeds to Follow for News on Healthcare IT
- What was your impression of social media at HIMSS11?
- Simply Workflow
