We are very happy with the results we have achieved so far! 757 pairs of shoes donated. But much we can achieve so much more. There is an upward trend in the figures published by the CBS. At the beginning of 2023, there were 30,600 homeless people registered in the Netherlands. By the beginning of 2024, that number grew to 33,000. And that's just the registered people between the ages of 18 and 65. Younger people, and there are many of them, are not counted.
The ETHOS census uses different criteria. ETHOS stands for European Typology of Homelessness and Housing Exclusion. Read here the Dutch public report of the 2024 census
Reason enough to make our foundation bigger, so we can help even more people. We have experienced over the past few months that asking for help pays off and that expressing your dreams is the best thing you can do to make those dreams come true. Therefore, below is a list of our wishes for the New Shoes Foundation. To take it a step further. One step Beyond!
We dream of a coach converted into a shoe store That coach is going to drive around the Netherlands for 40 weeks a year, 4 days a week to give away 60 pairs of shoes per day. That's almost 10,000 pairs of shoes. We're never going to reach that number with our annual action because of logistical challenges. That coach solves those challenges.
Paolo Nutini becomes an ambassador for our foundation. He sings his song New Shoes. He wrote that song because he wants to solve problems as easy as it is to buy new shoes. A tremendous link to our cause. It would be great if he wants to support us in raising awareness of homelessness. And of course, we think he's a cool artist, too.
Shoes developed and produced for life on the streets. That will be the shoes that we donate.Homeless people make intens use of shoes. Not like most people. And in terms of appearance, they may also have different needs. How great would it be if we could use residual streams of materials from other shoes to produce shoes designed specifically for life on the streets. And there is no need for all those shoes to look the same. Each pair may be unique, just as each person is unique. It reduces waste stream, shoes can be produced cheaper and they last longer. Win-Win-Win
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