By: Joseph Rubsamen
Flawless Intern & Founder of Shoes2You
Social determinants of health are conditions in the environments in which people are born, live, learn, work, play, worship, and age that affect a wide range of health, functioning, and quality-of-life outcomes and risks. Economic insecurity is one of the most powerful social determinants of health; 10% of the world’s population (approximately 734 million people) lived on less than $1.90 a day, and the economic impact of COVID-19 is estimated to put an additional 40-60 million people into poverty. Economic insecurity is not just a problem in developing countries, it is also a problem here in the United States with 1 in 6 children (about 2.5 million) experiencing homelessness, and an additional 13% of adult women and 11% of adult men living below the poverty line. Those numbers greatly increase for people with disabilities, to 25.7% of which is almost 4 million people.
An often overlooked effect of poverty is an absence of suitable clothing, including shoes and socks. Wearing shoes is extremely important to prevent exposure to neglected tropical diseases, viruses, parasites, and other infections, as well as help with issues like diabetes and other chronic conditions. Since over 2.2 billion people are unable to afford the basic necessities of life, it is important to provide shoes, socks, and other clothing items to those in need. Globally, there are an estimated 300 million people without shoes, and so in 2014, I created the 501(c)3 organization Shoes2You, Inc to help address this exact problem.
Shoes2You’s mission is to provide shoes and socks, through our partnership with Bombas, to those in need in order to improve foot health conditions and provide the opportunity for a person to pursue an education, occupation, or healthy lifestyle with proper foot care. In most of the world, shoes are essential to fully participate in society, school, work, and other day-to-day activities. Access to shoes is definitely a social determinant of health, and at Shoes2You, we are working to combat this problem one pair of shoes and socks at a time. Not only do shoes contribute to physical health and wellbeing, but they also contribute to improved mental health. Recently, Shoes2You worked with Mental Health America of Palm Beach County for the second time in order to provide shoes and socks to people with mental health challenges who are experiencing homelessness.
Mental Health America of Palm Beach County is an affiliate of Mental Health America (MHA) which has more than 200 affiliates across the United States and is the nation’s leading nonprofit dedicated to promoting the overall mental health of all Americans. The goal of Mental Health America is to create a supportive culture where people with mental health conditions live openly and are valued. This falls right in line with our Flawless mission for mental health advocacy since MHA connects people to care and support, builds awareness, and works to make mental health a public policy priority. This is also a perfect partner organization where Shoes2You can provide shoes and socks for those with mental health challenges who need help. We were pleased to have this recent opportunity to donate 120 pairs of shoes and over 600 pairs of socks to MHA of Palm Beach County. These shoes and socks are going to the neediest in Palm Beach County, through Shoes2You’s donation to MHA of Palm Beach County.
Watch this video as Mental Health America of Palm Beach County’s CEO Jeremy Morse explained to the Shoes2You and Flawless team about where the shoes will be provided, their need, and impact in West Palm Beach, Florida. Shoes and socks are two of the most-needed items for homeless and low-income individuals living around the world, especially for those living with mental health challenges. We are happy to have this collaboration between the Mental Health America of Palm Beach County, Shoes2You, and the Flawless Foundation during this challenging time.
