An estimated 1.2 million Iraqis were displaced in 2014. Over 1.1 million Syrian refugees are registered and living in camps in Lebanon. Many of them are children. Join our campaign to provide shoes and additional aid to these families in need.
Everything starts with a simple thought or a moment of inspiration. For me, it was during a morning workout in a new pair of NIKE FREE running shoes. There’s just something about getting a new pair of shoes. It doesn’t really matter who you are, where you live or how old you are. New shoes are cool. I guess in a weird way, a new pair of shoes signals a new beginning or a new start. No scuff marks, tattered shoe laces, grimy soles or smelly reminders of where you have been.
Like many of you, I read about the events that are unfolding in Syria, Iraq, Lebanon, Turkey, North Africa and other hot spots in this region. But unlike many of you, I live in this part of the world. As a journalist currently based in Jerusalem, I write about these geopolitical events and am often forced to separate my emotions from the harsh realities that millions of human beings are dealing with right now. That is why we started The H19 Shoe Project.
Hope and compassion are not just ideological concepts. Hope and compassion are tangible realities that make a measurable impact in a person’s life. Some may wonder, why shoes? These displaced and traumatized people need food, water, shelter, clothes, travel documents, money, or any number of other essentials. Why shoes? Well, one reason is because shoes are personal. One size doesn’t fit all. Because new shoes represent a new start on a new path and because many of these refugees are kids who have walked a very long way and their shoes didn’t survive the journey.
I have seen the unforgettable spark in my kids eyes when they get a new pair of shoes and I guess, we just want to see that same spark a million more times. Do you want to help us help them? We are starting with shoes and we will work our way up from there. Get involved in The H19 Shoe Project today.