The shoe industry is lending aid to Haiti after another deadly earthquake hit the country over the weekend.
The 7.2-magnitude earthquake has killed more than 1,400 people and injured nearly 7,000, according to reports. The death toll is expected to rise as search and rescue efforts continue. Relief efforts have been hampered, however, due to tropical storm Grace, which is bringing heavy rains and the threat of mudslides and flash floods to Haiti.
Kenneth Cole — who has been a major proponent of Haiti’s economic vitality through various methods that include helping to fund construction projects, fueling job creation, supporting vocational education and visiting the people of Haiti — is launching a donation-matching campaign to encourage everyone to raise money for Haiti following the earthquake.
For every purchase at kennethcole.com, the brand will donate a percentage of net sales to the St. Luke Foundation, a medical institution, in support of those impacted at this critical time.
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In addition, Cole is asking for a $10 donation to help provide Haitian led programs in health care, education, economic development, and community outreach.
Cole built The Kenneth Cole Haiti Health Center in Citi Soleil, in partnership with the St. Luke’s Foundation, and in 2019, he collaborated with fashion legend Donna Karan for a special project aiming to create more change.
“Haiti is a country that has been ravaged time and time again,” he told FN. “It has already demonstrated extraordinary and courageous resilience and has had to endure more than most of us could possibly imagine. Right now, not only are their health facilities far from where they should be in this day and age, but also, their political system isn’t able to support them. They need our help. They are our neighbors, and in times of great need, this is what we’re supposed to do. This is a human disaster and a public health crisis that calls for humanity to step up and help this underserved community get the resources they need for basic survival.”
Soles4Souls is also stepping up.
While the non-profit continues to assess need, it has set up its main warehouse location in Alabama as a hub for any non-perishable donation supplies (no food) that people would like to send. [For more information regarding donations, email Nancy Youssef: NancyY@soles4souls.org]
Saturday’s devastation is Haiti’s worst earthquake in a decade. Just over 10 years ago, an earthquake hit Haiti, killing more than 200,000 people and displacing millions of its citizens.
