One of our favorite do-good companies to date is TOMS Shoes (Shoes for Tomorrow). Started by entrepreneur/traveler Blake Mycoskie in 2006, the company’s goal is simple yet extraordinary: for every pair of shoes bought, a pair of shoes is given to a child in need. 

Mycoskie started the brand after noticing Argentinean children without shoes on their feet, oftentimes leading to health problems like podoconiosis, a debilitating disease that plagues those who walk barefoot in silica-rich soil. He noted the popularity of the rope-soled style of footwear and decided design his own, making the “one for one” philosophy a cornerstone of his business. Mycoskie’s canvas shoes, sold for about $50, are now carried in stores across the nation and have been featured in articles in Vogue, Vanity Fair, People and ESPN – just to name a few. 

According to tomsshoes.com, TOMS has given away over 150,000 pairs – and plans to give over 300,000 pairs by the end of this year. For children who use walking as their main mode of transportation, the donation of shoes is one step in getting them going in the right direction. 

And that plan also helped point us in the right direction by inspiring us to do our part in helping others. Catalyst Exhibits recently donated to Chatchada Kruakaew’s traveling art program in Thailand’s ar act a songkhla province, making it possible for her students to express themselves through painting. 

Below are pictures of her students displaying their artwork. We hope you enjoy their creations as much as we do!

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There is a great place in Thailand where the weary can rest. This is not a place for just any vacationer; it’s not a five star resort. Instead, this sanctuary of sorts is a special place for wayward aid workers, hard at work rebuilding the chaos that the 2004 Asian Tsunami and other disasters around the world created.

The 2004 Indian Ocean earthquake created disaster of epic proportions – and Thailand was one of the hardest hit countries. Immediately people from all over the world stepped up to help their fellow man. Innumerable amounts of volunteers did their part in the effort to rebuild homes, buildings, roads and lives. Yet for some, this was not simply a weekend project. Many of the volunteers who dedicated their time and talent still live and work in Asia, and that’s where the idea for this rest home began – this nonprofit workforce from all over the world needed a place to rest while in between its tours of duty; rest in a place that serves as a beachfront vacation home for those who most deserve a vacation.

Adding to the giving spirit that already surrounded these endeavors, a local named Lon offered the volunteers her home. This, coming from a woman who lost her husband and several other family members in the tsunami. The workers, who operate under Reach Global and are led by Dean Overholt, knew they could not accept it without giving something in return, so Dean offered a 15-year contract – and promised to triple the size of the house before giving it back.

Unfortunately this project hit a major speed bump when, as so often happens, funds were depleted. Construction was stalled, and the goal of completing the rest home by Christmas seemed impossible. But impossible it was not – Catalyst Exhibits decided to fund the final phase by paying for the final three months of construction.

Today, this house is sanctuary to the non-profit individuals working for the poor in Asia. But the monthly operating costs will still ensue… and that’s where Catalyst Exhibits stepped in again. Catalyst will also fund the ongoing day-to-day fees as our way of saying thank you to these dedicated, selfless men and women. And we look forward to welcoming our first two families, from Malaysia and Indonesia, December 29. We hope they find the type of rest they so need and merit.

Check out our pictures. These are people like you, working to make a difference in the lives of the less fortunate. So yes, we think they are pretty damn inspirational. And if you want to help but are unable to donate the time, Dean and his team could use sports equipment and vehicles such as motorcycles, mountain bikes and sea kayak, which would be used heavily year-round.

Click here to contact us for more information.

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The UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) estimates the number of refugees in the world to be almost 35 million.

Yes, you read that right: almost 35 million refugees. These are people fleeing from their homeland in the hopes of escaping persecution – religious, political, racial or other. This undoubtedly seems hard to relate to, as our lives are so far removed from situations like these. We rise for work, drink our coffee, do our jobs, then go home to our families – but these people do not have the luxury of such a routine. Every day rings in a new struggle for food, health, care… and we at Catalyst Exhibits want to do something to help.

Through the AREA 3 blog, we hope to show you, the talented designers, how you can make a difference in the lives of people who really need your help. Catalyst Exhibits cofounder Paul Stahlberg got this up and running after realizing he wanted to be a designer with a higher purpose. He and his team of eight designers work with mainly with local contacts in affected areas – allowing for targeted, solution-based projects both overseas and locally. By developing relationships with people on the ground (and bypassing large organizations), AREA 3 is able to find smaller, winnable battles that can be introduced to corporate America for funding. But Paul’s team can only do so much – that’s where you come in.

We will be focusing our efforts on what is needed – ideally, projects 20k or less in budget and six months or less in duration. We need experts at recording, photography, PR, marketing and design to help us build relationships with the right types of companies to ensure we achieve our goals. You can help us package the project as the “up close and personal” story that it is – a story anyone would want to be involved with. But this story could also change your own… there are huge rewards in helping others.

Please check back to learn more about the projects AREA 3 is currently working on. You will see what huge impact a little time, talent and treasure can have on the lives of those less fortunate. Because the displaced need to fed, healthy, educated and self-sufficient – the displaced need to be placed.

Below you can find our “give a damn-o-meter.” Though it’s a given we give a damn about all we do, some things are just off-the-charts important. And because this is the inaugural AREA 3 blog post, it’s pretty damn important. Check it out in each blog post we unveil… we plan on having fun with it, and hope you do too.

Click here to contact us for more information.

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