A group of LDSS students are doing their part to make the journey to recovery in Haiti a little more bearable.
When Jessica D’Arcey and Emilee Ament were given the opportunity to help following the Haiti earthquake, they decided to put their efforts into Toms Shoes, a program that provides footwear for impoverished countries. D’Arcey said the project has been more successful than they thought it would be.
“A lot of people didn’t think it would work, but we’re getting a lot of people interested on our Facebook group,” D’Arcey said.
The Toms Shoes program works on a one-for-one basis, with one pair of shoes donated for each pair purchased. In addition, a donation of $5 will be made for health services in Haiti with each pair of shoes bought. The hope is that the fundraiser expands beyond the halls of LDSS and into the local community.
“We’re hoping that if we get this out in the school, people will start to realize what’s needed to help down there,” Ament said.
D’Arcey explained that shoes are vital to people living in poor countries because they often can’t afford shoes of their own and have to walk barefoot.
“The number-one cause of disease in developing countries is because of open sores on their feet and coming in contact with contaminated soil,” D’Arcey said.  
The students said they plan on selling the shoes through the month of February and ordering them in March. For more information on the program or ordering shoes, people are welcome to join the Toms Shoes for Haiti group on Facebook.