TOMS EYEWEAR

TOMS

In 2006, American traveler Blake Mycoskie befriended children in a village in Argentina and found they had no shoes to protect their feet. Wanting to help, he created TOMS, a company that would match every pair of shoes purchased with a pair of new shoes given to a child in need. One for One.

Realizing this movement could serve other basic needs, TOMS Eyewear was launched. With every pair purchased, TOMS will help give sight to a person in need. One for One.

As more everyday choices have the power to impact the lives of those around the world, the TOMS movement will continue to grow and evolve.

MISSION STATEMENT

With every pair of eyewear you purchase, TOMS will help give sight to a person in need. One for One®.

TOMS GIVING BY THE NUMBERS:
TOMS has helped restore sight to over 275,000 people in need.
285 million people around the world are blind or visually impaired. Eighty percent don’t have to be. (Source: WHO, Vision 2020)

WHO
TOMS works with over 14 Sight Giving Partners to help restore sight to people in need. Our partners are trained, locally based ophthalmologists and optometrists who are experts in sustainable eye care. TOMS Sight Giving invests in clinics, hospitals and locally based organizations that train residents to provide quality, professional eye care. In the United States, TOMS works with school-based screening programs that deliver glasses directly to students.

WHAT
Each TOMS Eyewear (both sun and optical) purchase helps to provide a sight-restoring service by trained medical professionals.
Each patient receives a full eye exam, followed by the treatment he or she needs. TOMS supports treatments for three of the most common vision issues:
Sight-saving surgery: Surgeons perform operations, provide follow-up care and education. TOMS-funded surgeries are used to correct:
• Cataract: Clouding of the lens of the eye, the leading cause of avoidable blindness. These are the majority of TOMS-supported eye surgeries.
• Trichiasis: A painful infection that can cause inflammation and scarring inside the eyelid, leading to corneal scarring and blindness.
Prescription Glasses: Eye care professionals determine the corrective lenses needed and provide the right pair of eyeglasses. The patient is able to choose their own new frames, and a technician grinds the lenses to fit the patient’s exact prescription.
Medical Treatments: Administer prescription medications, remove foreign objects, care for scratches and cuts, treat infections like conjunctivitis and iritis, bacterial or fungal corneal ulcerations, as well as follow-up care and education.

WHERE WHY/IMPACT

TOMS helps restore sight in 13 countries: Bangladesh, Cambodia, Egypt, Ethiopia, Guatemala, India, Pakistan, Paraguay, Nepal, Tanzania, Tibet, Uganda and the United States.

HOW IT WORKS
1. Make a Match: When a customer buys a pair of TOMS Eyewear, we provide Giving Partners with funding to restore sight to one individual.
2. Diagnose the Person: Individuals are evaluated at local clinics and hospitals through outreach programs.
3. Treat the Issue: An eye care professional provides proper treatment based on evaluation.
4. Pair up for Good: We support organizations pursuing a self-sustaining business model. We collect feedback and continue to improve our support.
• 90% of the world’s visually impaired people live in developing countries (International Agency for the Prevention of Blindness). Because access to care is a huge barrier, TOMS Giving Partners deliberately seek out remote communities to deliver cost-effective blindness prevention and treatment services.
• 2/3 of the people who are blind are female (World Health Organization). More than 50% of TOMS supported sight services are dedicated to women and girls.
• 80% of what we learn is through sight (American Academy of Optometry). Children who receive appropriate corrective lenses have been shown to improve in academic performance and have fewer behavioral problems in school.