Glass. Metal. Piercing your feet and making them bleed. In the world today, more than 1.5 billion people are without shoes. Last year, 6,000 people walked barefoot for a day to raise awareness about worldwide poverty in a campaign known as Barefoot for Them. Hosted by Soles4Souls, the event will be held again this year on Thursday, Oct. 10.

The campaign parallels the TOMS One Day Without Shoes, yet differs in matters of registration, which takes less than 30 seconds to complete. Afterward the applicant is sent a photo ID and short story about the specific person they are walking barefoot for.

Bethany Oliver, coordinator of leadership and volunteerism at UNA, participated in the event previously and said she plans to do it again this year.

“It’s the same concept as TOMS,” Oliver said. “But it gives you a face and name which is more meaningful and understanding. It’s a cool way to educate and raise awareness.”

Oliver will be flying to Haiti this December, where she will work with Soles4Souls handing out shoes and clothes to those in need. She said she may be able to meet the girl she is sponsoring.

“I hope I get to meet her,” Oliver said. “I was assigned a 17-year-old girl named Yolna who lives in Siloe, Haiti, in a village where I’ll be. That particular village is always on the list. The last time they were there was in June.”

Yolna was one of 10,000 individuals who migrated after the earthquakes that occurred in 2010, Oliver said.

“We go through the villages and most of their shoes are inadequate or none,” Oliver said. “We give them shoes, size them for shoes and even wash their feet. When you go barefoot for a day you get to see what it’s like when so many people in the world are forced.”

The benefits do not stop there. Soles4Souls will make even greater donations after partnering with KindRunner when participants tweet and use Instagram.

“Use social action to make an even bigger difference,” the blog reads. “For every photo uploaded with the #barefoot4them hashtag, KindRunner.com will donate one dollar to the cause. It costs us approximately one dollar to ship a pair of shoes to someone in need. So, essentially, your barefoot photo will be placing a pair of shoes on someone around the world.”

Any way people can take part in the event is appreciated, Oliver said.

“It’s a cool concept because there’s so much disease from having no or improper shoes,” Oliver said. “The more you can get out and help, I just think it’s fabulous.”

To learn more about Soles4Souls and to register for Barefoot for Them, visit soles4souls.org.