Shoes Making a Difference

Global Messengers

Global Messengers are shoes made out of straw material that is natural and Eco-friendly. These shoes will keep the feet, hearts and souls of our most vulnerable children warm and hopeful. The mission behind Global Messengers, is to bring a message of hope and love to children/youth from the developing world; who are lacking the opportunity to experience the essentials of life. Every pair of shoes will be customized with a unique written message from children and youth from Canada addressed to the child of selected country.Our hope is to donate as many shoes as possible to our global society which is in much need of our love and support.
"Receiving a message of love from someone we have never met, might just be all we need to believe again " Malu

http://designsbymalu.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=43&Itemid=73

Women for Women

News 1."Women for Women Supports The Alzheimer Society Saturday January 28, 2012 1pm to 3pm"
Malu will be donating 5% of all her shoe sales to this event.  Join us and help us make a difference!   Read flyer for details.  See you on Saturday January 28th!

2. All shoes that you purchase at Lascania Boutique. 5% of the pretax wholesale will be donated to the compass Foodbank. Support your community ........support a charity!  the compass

2009 Toronto Star Teacher Award

My name is Maria Campodonico. I am a high school teacher and founder of MaLu.  I am strongly committed to making change in the lives of the most vulnerable children from Canada and around the world. Children in the developing world dream of good health, free education, clean water, good nutrition, medical and school supplies. Even many children in the developed world are lacking many of these essentials.  Therefore, after many years of working on different initiatives to help our local, and international children have a better quality of life,  I have come up with my own product, which will not only provide the customer with beautiful design, high quality, and comfort, but at the same time will directly contribute to organizations that are committed to improving the quality of children's lives. MaLu's mission is to donate 5% of every pre-tax shoe sale to organizations that strive to make children's dreams a reality.  Today, you can sponsor our most vulnerable children, youth, and their families with your purchase. Every time you buy a pair of shoes with the Malu logo, feel wholesome for the contribution, and support you are providing to a charity serving your local community.

Pass on the torch of love and "let’s change the world together".On behalf of the children and their families, thank you for your support.

Teacher Helping Children the World Over

Shoes for charity. Maria Campodonico, a high school teacher who lives in Lorne Park, has developed a line of shoes that will benefit children in developing countries. Her Designs by Malu brand will also being sold at a Port Credit boutique and five per cent of the sales is going to the Compass Food Bank.  

Maria Campodonico is one of those teachers students never forget.
The Lorne Park woman devotes herself to her students, giving of herself well beyond what's expected of her.

Now, she's extending her passion for helping children beyond the boundaries of the Toronto District School Board where she's been teaching for more than 10 years and where she earned the inaugural 2009 Toronto Star Teacher Award for her efforts to help students, including establishing a breakfast program to feed hungry teenagers.

This week she embarked on a new venture that combines her love of children and her love of shoes.

Designs by Malu are high-quality, 100 per cent Italian leather shoes being sold to retailers and non-profit organizations.
As the developer, shoe mastermind and owner of Designs by Malu, Campodonico will earn nothing. The profit is for charity.

Campodonico explained that groups or individuals, who want to fundraise for their selected charity, contact her. She orders the shoe quantities the group or person seeks, then the group or person sells them on their own, pricing them accordingly, and donates profit to charity. It can be a large or a small profit margin - it's completely up to the individual.

Currently, the shoes are available at Campodonico's website www.designsbymalu.com. Here, her most popular shoe, called 'The Foldable' sells for $120. Campodonico, who came to Canada from Ecuador when she was 13, said her profits are going to purchase shoes for underprivileged children in Colombia.
Children there will receive an individualized shoe with their name permanently affixed to the insole.
"I know that a lot of children from the developing world, always poor, go to school in bare feet," she said. "I want to change that.

"I want this to be everywhere, so everywhere you see MaLu shoes, whatever the charity is, we want people to say, 'we need your Foldables'," she added. "You cover my cost, and the rest is for your charity, for breakfast programs for children, women, animals, the elderly, whatever your charity is."
The shoes are also being sold for $120 at Lascania Boutique in Port Credit. The married mother of two sons is donating five per cent of the sales from that location to the Compass Food Bank, which provides food for families in need in the area.

"I am strongly committed to making change in the lives of the most vulnerable children from Canada and around the world,"  Campodonico said. "Children in the developing world dream of good health, free education, clean water, good nutrition, medical and school supplies."
jslack@mississauga.net