🌍 Annual Report 2024–2025 🌍

Impact at a Glance

  • Annual: 4,361 pairs of shoes distributed this year 
  • All-Time: 51,435 pairs of shoes
  • 10 countries across 5 global regions

Each pair represents a child protected from disease, a family given hope, and a community reminded that compassion crosses borders. 

  • Entirely volunteer‑run, with no paid staff 

This approach ensures that donor generosity has the greatest possible impact — protecting children’s health, supporting families, enabling education, and restoring dignity one pair of shoes at a time. 

A Letter to Our Friends and Supporters

Every year, we are reminded of a simple truth: a pair of shoes can change a child’s life. 

In communities where children walk barefoot through dirt roads, contaminated water, and animal waste, the risk of parasitic infection is constant. Hookworm, roundworm, and whipworm steal children’s health, energy, and future potential. Yet the solution — protective footwear — is so simple, so basic, and so often out of reach. 

Shoes to the World was founded to bridge that gap. What began as a small effort to help barefoot children in Colombia has grown into a global mission reaching children in 5 regions of the world including locally here in San Diego County (North & South Americas, Africa, Pakistan, and The Amazon Rainforest). 

This year, your generosity helped us continue that mission with unwavering commitment, compassion and dignity. We’re dedicated to serving underprivileged children and orphans around the world, as well as at-risk teens on the street and many other homeless people both locally and abroad. 

Thank you for standing with us. — The Shoes to the World Team 

Our Mission

To protect the health and dignity of children living in extreme poverty by providing new shoes that prevent parasitic infections and open the door to a healthier, more hopeful future. 

Why Shoes Matter

People can be infected by skin penetration. Children living in extreme poverty often walk barefoot through environments contaminated with parasites.  To quote Unicef, “Children are particularly susceptible and typically have the largest number of worms.  And according to UNICEF, the World Health Organization(WHO) and the Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC): 

  • Over 400 million school‑age children are infected with parasitic worms 
  • These infections cause anemia, stunted growth, and impaired cognitive development 
  • More than 1.2 billion people worldwide are affected by hookworm and whipworm 

A simple pair of shoes can prevent these infections — protecting a child’s health, school attendance, and long‑term well‑being. 

When we arrive in a village, families understand immediately: they are not forgotten. Someone cares. 

Where We Worked This Year

In 2024–2025, Shoes to the World continued its global outreach, delivering new shoes to children in: 

  • Togo, Africa 
  • Kenya, Africa 
  • Colombia
    (including remote jungle regions) 
  • Pakistan 
  • Honduras 
  • North San Diego County
    (homeless outreach & Libby Elementary) 
  • Florida & North Carolina
    (hurricane‑affected communities)

Every distribution is done with respect, cultural sensitivity, and the belief that health knows no boundaries.

Stories From the Field

“The children lined up barefoot, smiling shyly, waiting for their turn
” 

In the Colombian jungle, we met children who had never owned a pair of shoes. Their feet were calloused from years of walking on dirt and stone. When they received their new shoes, their faces lit up — not just with excitement, but with relief. 

“In Kenya, a teacher told us that shoes mean more than protection
” 

She explained that children who receive shoes are more likely to attend school consistently. Shoes are not only a barrier against disease — they are a gateway to education. 

“In San Diego County, we saw the same need close to home
” 

Homeless children and families facing hardship received new shoes through our local outreach partners. Poverty has many faces, and we are committed to serving wherever the need exists. 

Our Volunteers

Shoes to the World is run entirely by volunteers. Founders cover all operational expenses so that every dollar donated goes directly to shoes for those in need. 

This year, we are especially grateful for: 

  • Susie Walker
    who is completing the upload of all past and present distributions 
  • Theresa Southern
    who designed several new elements for our new website & gallery 
  • Reece Young 
    who rebuilt and stabilized our new photo gallery, the core purpose of the website itself 
  • Our supporters
    who shared our mission on Facebook, Instagram, and Giving Tuesday 
  • Our distribution partners

Your dedication makes this work possible. 

⭐ Financial Transparency

Shoes to the World is committed to using every resource with integrity, compassion, and purpose. Because our founders personally cover all operational expenses, 100% of every donated dollar goes directly toward purchasing new shoes for people in need. 

How We Use Resources 

  • 99.3%
    of all resources are spent directly on our mission — providing new shoes to children living in extreme poverty 
  • 0.7%
    represents operational costs such as wire fees, domain hosting, and administrative necessities — all of which are paid entirely by our founders 
  • 0% of donor contributions
    are used for salaries, overhead, or administrative payroll 
  • 100% of non‑founder donations purchase new shoes 

Cost Efficiency 

Because we purchase shoes in bulk directly from local manufacturers and distributors: 

  • The average cost per pair is just $8.71 
  • Every $10 donated protects a child from soil‑transmitted parasites 
  • Bulk purchasing allows us to reach more children for less 
  • Entirely volunteer‑run, with no paid staff 
  • Purchase locally to avoid costs with shipping & imports
  • Supports the local economy

Join Us in Changing Lives

A pair of shoes may seem small — but to a child living in extreme poverty, it is protection, dignity, and hope. 

Thank you for walking this journey with us. Together, we are changing the world one child at a time. 

 

100% Volunteer Run

Clara Marsden – President & Founder

Michael Marsden – Treasurer & Founder

Nicholas Marsden – Secretary & Founder

Medical Consultant

Dr Paul Slowik – Podiatrist & Surgeon

Board Members

Patrick Beall

Kallan Arkeder

Web Team

Theresa Southern

Susie Walker

John Gallagher