Pop-up Store in Los Altos, CA

Started: 6/9/12

Ends: 6/24/12

Goal: Raise $25,000 to build a Childrens' Hospital in Les Cayes, Haiti that will serve over 1 million people

Over 2,000 pairs of shoes and clothing were donated from: Converse, Puma, adidas, Saucony, Asics, and from Adrian Wilson (Safety for the Arizona Cardinals) who donated an additional 1,000 pairs of Nike, Supra, Creative Recreation, and Gourmet.

In a total of 7 days, we have raised $15,550.15 to reach our goal of $25,000

We need your help and support to spread the word and reach out to more people towards our cause to build the medical clinic. To better understand the health conditions these kids and infants are treated, please watch an unedited video below I took from the childrens' hospital in Les Cayes, Haiti while I worked in Haiti in June 2011.

Note: The footage of the video is not at the best angle because I was not allowed to film inside the hospital, and therefore had to take the footage in a way that was not conspicuous.

 

JUNE 9-24: "Pop-Up" Charity for Haiti

 

Anyone in need of a great pair of shoes?  How about an *awesome* pair of shoes for charity? 

Youth Against Poverty is opening a “Pop-Up” store – a short-term clearance sale – starting THIS SATURDAY in Los Altos.  We’re selling hundreds of new, top-quality shoes to fund a children’s medical clinic in Les Cayes, Haiti. 

Although one of our closest neighbors, Haiti has one of the worst health care systems in the world and millions of the country’s citizens are suffering from cholera, malaria and Dengue Fever.  The children’s clinic in Les Cayes will serve a community of over a million people and will contribute significantly to the prevention and treatment of illnesses for the youth of the region.

Do you think you can help?  If so, please join me.  Our last Pop-Up raised over $25,000, and with the support of the Silicon Valley community, we’re hoping to raise even more towards our goal of $70,000.

If you can’t make it, please spread the word.  It is rare to find great deals on great shoes, and even more rare to be able to shop for charity. 

We hope to see you there!

YAP X Keds X Compass

As of 4/14/12, we have sold 171 pairs of shoes generously donated by Keds. So far we raised $3,296.20, having all the proceeds go to Compass Family Services. Compass is an afterschool program for preschool kids of homeless working families. Each week, families are denied sending their kids to the shelter due to severe state budget cuts. The money that we raised will help Compass to take on more families and care for more deserving kids.

 

We have one more week to go to the end of our fundraising drive. Join us to raise money so we can give these kids a chance for them to have brighter futures and better lives, regardless of their economic background.

Teamwork in Africa: Shoes for Kids in Need

Cupertino teen helps put shoes on the feet of poor children in Africa

A few polite inquiries from Cupertino resident Shawn Esmaili put shoes on the feet of poor children in Tanzania.

Esmaili, 18, a junior at Saint Francis High School, was recently honored by K2 Adventures Foundation for his work in donating hundreds of shoes to poor children in the African nation. He received the foundation's first junior humanitarian award in 22 years.

Esmaili worked with K2 to get shoes sent to an orphanage in Tanzania that cares for roughly 600 children struggling with blindness. He said he was surprised to learn that the soil competition causes children to suffer from foot fungus, which cause their feet and even stomachs to swell.

"They said they needed shoes really badly. This is the only thing they wanted," he said. "I had no idea just how much these shoes would impact their lives."

Esmaili contacted major shoe companies such as Reebok, Puma, Converse, Adidas and Vans. Over a period of three months last year, he secured more than 700 pairs of shoes.

Esmaili said he was surprised that a few inquiries to the shoe companies would result in such positive feedback.

"I never would have expected to get so much support from these organizations. That was the really surprising part," he said. "I have them to thank for all of this. If it wasn't for their generosity, it would not have happened."

Esmaili's philanthropic ways began when he was 12 years old and traveling in Iran. He visited an orphanage for gifted and talented middle school-age children and heard their life stories. He said he was inspired to help poor children immediately after chatting with some of the orphans.

"I realized how fortunate I was, how much I had and how much they did not have," he said. "These kids were very bright; they were first or second in their class. This is when I found that this is what I want to do. This is the day I changed my life."

Last summer, Esmaili was in Haiti with Global Family Philanthropy, and it was there that he made connections with K2. The 10-day trip was an eye-opener for him, and he has since been continuing aid efforts for the earthquake-ravaged nation.

Esmaili was honored in Scottsdale, Ariz., late last year at K2's headquarters. The shoe donations even inspired him and K2 to sell the shoes at discount prices at makeshift "pop-up" stores in Scottsdale earlier this month.

The money from the stores is going toward medical equipment in Haiti. To date, the effort has raised $12,000, with a goal of reaching $25,000.

Esmaili has his own nonprofit, Youth Against Poverty, which works to connect his fellow teenagers with groups that work to help poor and impoverished children around the world. The organization is working to get official nonprofit status.

 

Teamwork in Scottsdale: Pop-Up Charity Store

  • Youth Against Poverty, in collaboration with Global Family Philanthropy, will have a pop-up charity sheo and clothing store in Scottsdale, Arizona, from December 31-January 4
  • We will be selling limited addition and brand new adidas, Converse, Reebok, Puma, Vans, and Onitsuka Tiger
  • ALL SHOES UNDER COST PRICE: FOR EXAMPLE, WE WILL SELL BRAND NEW ALL-STAR CONVERSE SHOES FOR ONLY $22.
  • 100% OF PROCEEDS GO TOWARDS BUILDING THE MEDICAL CLINIC IN HAITI

Great Teamwork: Over 823 Pairs of Shoes Donated!!

YAP Successes in Tanzania and San Francisco

  • We have donated a total of 700 pairs of shoes to the 600 blind orphans in Tanzania.
  • We want to thank Vans, adidas, Converse, Reebok, and Puma for being so generous in saving the lives of these orphans who have suffered all this time from foot fungus, when the only cure is wearing shoes.
  • The first package of shoes just arrived in Tanzania and it has completely changed their lives. The rest is still on its way to Tanzania, arriving there soon.
  • Thanks to Converse, we also donated 123 pairs of shoes to the Compass Center
  • The Compass Center is a shelter for homeless kids in San Francisco, age 2-10, who live their lives sleeping in the streets or in broken families
  • The shelter is their only source of hope to thrive

 

We're Getting 501(c) registered!

Great News!!

Youth Against Poverty is finally in the process of being a non-profit organization. That way we can raise even more funds and help even more people that are currently in desperate need.

YAP has donated another 360 pairs of shoes to the Orphanage in Tanzania

We have just shipped 300 pairs of Vans shoes plus another 60 pairs of Converse shoes to the orphanage in Tanzania, bringing us very close to our 600 pair quota. This also includes the 200 pairs of shoes we sent last week. The orphanage has 600 kids, all of them blind and never having worn shoes before. This is a donation of at least $18,000 in cost with an approximate retail value of $33,000.

By doing this, we can change the lives of these orphans by preventing the spread of foot fungus, which is their biggest problem for them.

YAP Donates 200 Pairs of Shoes to Orphanage for the Blind in Tanzania

Youth Against Poverty has just donated 200 pairs of Converse shoes to an orphanage for the blind in Tanzania. The orphanage was founded by the K2 Foundation and the orphans have never owned a pair of shoes. Also, many of the orphans are currently suffering from foot fungus, mainly because of the composition of the dirt and soil that causes the foot to swell. By wearing shoes, it will prevent the kids from having foot fungus and will forever change their lives. We just take for granted how important shoes are to us. Once you hear about how badly kids need shoes, you start to appreciate the shoes you wear everyday wherever you go.

Converse Helping Haiti

We want to thank Converse for their generous offer giving shoes to the orphans in Haiti.

adidas Helping Haiti

We want to thank adidas for their generous offer giving shoes to the orphans in Haiti

 

YAP is donating shoes to Mwereni Integrated School for the Blind in Tanzania

YAP is donating shoes to the Mwereni Integrated School for the Blind in Tanzania on behalf of the K2 Adventures Foundation. The school consists of 600 students, an equal number of boys and girls, from the ages of 5-18. What the students need most are close toed shoes because their biggest issue they are dealing with right now is foot fungus. There are cases of 9 year old boys needing size 13 shoes due to the foot fungus. So far, YAP was able to donate 115 pairs of shoes alone, but we still need more shoes to donate. If any of you have any shoes that you are willing to donate, please contact me at shawnesmaili@gmail.com. Your help can prevent this fungus and make lives better for the already blind students in Tanzania.

Art for Haiti fundraiser

YAP is having an art fundraiser where we are going to sell art, photography, and paintings, which will help us raise 75K to build a medical clinic in Haiti.

Date: Friday, August 19, 2011 from 7:00pm - 10:00pm
Location: San Francisco Suites on Nob Hill, 710 Powell Street, San Francisco, CA

Below are samples of customized TOMS shoes by Kris Mestizo that we are going to sell in the event.

Please visit and join our Facebook page for more details. Your help means everything to the crisis and spread of disease that is going on in Haiti. By building a medical clinic, we can stop the spread of diseases, such as cholera and malaria.

Building A Clinic in HAITI

 

Building A Clinic in HAITI

 
Since I returned from Haiti, I have written to friends, relatives, those who are involved in humanitarian projects to finds ways  to help kids living in orphanages, in poverty, or live without proper care.  I have been overwhelmed by how generously individual and companies have stepped forward to donate, and to guide me through.

I am asking you to do the same, and get involved. GET INVOLVED TODAY.
We need to build a medical clinic in Haiti, land and medical equipment has already been donated.
To build this clinic in Haiti, we must raise $75,000. This clinic will provide basic-urgent medical care to the kids who are living in the orphanages, will assist those who live in nearby villages who have no basic health care of any kind, and will prevent spread of diseases and death by Malaria and Cholera.

FOR EVERY DONATION OF ANY DENOMINATION, WE WILL DONATE A PAIR OF SHOES.
YOU WILL ALSO RECEIVE A GIFT OR A GIFT CERTIFICATE FOR YOUR GENEROSITY.

YAP Supports Global Family Philanthropy

Global Family Philanthropy is a non-profit organization whose mission is to provide a stable home for the abandoned and orphaned children in Haiti. My memorable trip to Haiti was through this organization, and I can assure you that it will be life-changing once you go there. If you are thinking or want to get involved to make a difference to these orphans in Haiti, click here. I never realized until I went there how impoverished that country is. Everyday, there are mothers in Haiti who want to give up their child or children because they cannot afford to take care of them. Some of the orphans in the orphanage were found walking in the streets naked, orphaned at birth, or given up by their mothers and still remember but don't know why she gave them up.

It's not too late to make a difference.

Pictures from Haiti

Hey All,

I just posted pictures of our trip in Haiti in our Photo Blog, which is on the left side bar.

Back from Haiti - Reflecting on the Experience

Overall, I had a great time at Haiti and it is one of those trips that I will remember forever. Our trip was through an organization called Global Family Philanthropy, and the orphanage we were at was in Les Cayes which is a four hour drive from Port-au-Prince. Our job was to build a chicken coop and we had a great deal of time to play with the kids. Since our group was small, we really had the opportunity to bond with the kids. The kids were always happy to see us and always wanted us to play with them and give them our love and care. They always wanted me to pick them up and hold them, because they loved that feeling to be held and known that someone actually cares for them. Some of the older kids knew that we were not going to be there for long, so by about 3 days prior to leaving, they were sad, because they knew we were leaving soon but didn't know exactly when we were leaving. The last day was the most emotional day of the trip, because that was when almost everyone knew we were leaving. Some starting crying and some were too upset to do anything. They were sad because they knew that they can't receive the love and care that we gave them during the 10 days. It's as if telling them that the love and care that we are giving them is temporary. It's sad because I realized that kids always need unconditional and undivided love and being there for such a short time was telling them that they can't have the unconditional love that a parent can give them. However, my heart is still with them and they were great kids and were always smiling and laughing, which made me smile and laugh as well.

Haiti is a country with great people and the countryside is beautiful, especially the beaches. The only problem is their management. For example, there is an abundance of banana trees, almond trees, and avocado trees, but the people are still starving. There are no garbage cans there so you see piles and piles of trash in the middle of the streets. When you drive from Les Cayes to the capital, it's all the same thing. It's just poor villages after another and garbage and filth everywhere. They have an abundance of resources, but they just have poor management. The reason I am so shocked here in US is because it is so clean compared to Haiti. I dont have to use my hand sanitizer every 5 minutes and can actually walk barefoot in my own room, whereas we couldnt in our hotel room. I am still recuperating because of the culture shock.

My Trip to Haiti - A Great Visit

Hey all,

Just to let all you know, I am having a great time in Haiti. Our volunteer group is great and I love the kids in the orphanage. They are always smiling and full of love. I don't have much Internet access at the moment, but if I do, I will post updates on my Facebook page which you can click here. So far, I have posted pictures of the kids and workers having a pair of shoes for the first time.