A breakdown by Two Ten President Neal Newman reveals the great volunteering work being done industry wide. It all adds up!
In 2018:
- We held group events in eight cities during April 2018, our focus-launch month.
- We held nine Boston-area events with (Footwear Cares national sponsor) Shoes.com
- We added a new city for group events in Charlotte, NC
- We directly impacted the lives of 49,959 low-income children
- We directly helped 21,503 families
- Our volunteers worked on 948 local service projects
- 114 footwear companies participated
With Shoes.com support, Footwear Cares met its goals for 2018, and the bar has been raised for 2019. Newman says this year’s plans include:
- Holding group events in 10 cities in April.
- Holding a minimum of four national events with Shoes.com
- Increasing the number of Boston-area community service activations
- Recruiting Footwear Cares Champions (FWC) across the country to help us gain attendance and traction in targeted group cities. If you would like to be an FWC and help arrange a group event in your area, contact Maureen Rubino, mrubino@twoten.org, or Bryce Sakach, bsakach@twoten.org
“There is no better way to express your personal and corporate values than community service,” Newman says. “Shoes.com is a delight to work with and their commitment to volunteerism and service is thrilling to be part of. Our Footwear Cares media partner, Footwear Plus, continues to give this initiative the visibility and energy it deserves.”
While a recent report in Forbes cited that volunteerism is the fastest growing employee engagement and team building activation in the U.S., Newman notes the footwear industry is still the only industry in the U.S. that engages in community service under a collective, organized effort like Footwear Cares. It’s a terrific example of cooperation for a greater good—something our country could use a lot more of right now!
“Thank you to everyone who volunteered and made a difference in their communities,” Newman says.
steps of the Massachusetts State House, displaying its donation of 344 pairs to The Children’s Trust in support of victims of child abuse and neglect.
