SPRINGFIELD, Mo. , Nov. 10, 2022 — ROMA Boots and Demi Tebow are both partnering with Convoy of Hope to provide boots to refugee children displaced by the ongoing war in Ukraine. As winter steadily approaches eastern Europe, cold-weather necessities are becoming even more important for those seeking shelter.
“For me, this [partnership] is very special — not only because I was born in Romania and am part Ukrainian, but because I was given hope over 30 years ago and I was able to migrate to the U.S. as a refugee,” says ROMA Boots founder, Samuel Bistrian. “To be able to donate 100,000 boots to Ukrainian refugees in the same region where I was born, to children who desperately need them, with a great organization like Convoy of Hope, is truly monumental.”
ROMA Boots donates one brand new pair of boots to a child in need for every pair sold. Over the last 12 years, the company has donated hundreds of thousands of boots in more than 30 countries around the world. The company’s mission is to bring impoverished children hope, love and lasting change through aid and education.
“It’s been such an honor to be able to come alongside ROMA Boots and Convoy of Hope, to see firsthand the hope that these boots bring to children in need,” says Demi Tebow. “As winter begins setting in across eastern Europe, refugees and impoverished children need help and hope more than ever. I’m honored to join ROMA and Convoy to help make a lasting impact in the communities that have been affected.”
The war in Ukraine continues. Recent bombings in Ukraine significantly damaged the power grid, and the World Health Organization reports that nearly 1 million homes have been damaged or destroyed since the war began in February. Additionally, temperatures in the region are quickly dropping — making an already tough situation even worse.
“The situation is heartbreaking, but Convoy of Hope is grateful for the many partners who have made our work in and around Ukraine possible,” says Ethan Forhetz, Convoy of Hope’s national spokesperson. “We are proud of and thankful for partners like Samuel and Demi who give their time, resources and influence to help others.”
Convoy of Hope remains committed to providing essentials to people caught in the crosshairs of the ongoing conflict. So far, the organization has distributed food, water, hygiene kits, baby supplies, blankets, toys and other relief items to more than 2 million people across 16 countries.
About Convoy of Hope
Convoy of Hope is a faith-based organization with a driving passion to feed the world. With a long history as an early responder in times of natural disasters, Convoy of Hope has been a Four Star Charity as recognized by Charity Navigator every year since 2002. Convoy of Hope has served more than 200 million people since it was founded in 1994. For more information, please visit convoyofhope.org.
About ROMA Boots
ROMA Boots is a social enterprise headquartered in Dallas, Texas. It was founded in 2010 by Romanian-born refugee Samuel Bistrian, who wanted to help children in his home country by combining his love of fashion and philanthropy. For every pair of ROMA Boots sold, a brand new pair is donated to a child in need. In the last 12 years, ROMA has donated 10 million dollars worth of boots across 30 countries around the world.
About Demi Tebow
Demi-Leigh Tebow is a South African entrepreneur, motivational speaker, philanthropist and social influencer who was crowned Miss South Africa and Miss Universe in 2017. Demi’s greatest purpose in life is loving God and others through all that she does. Today, she resides in Jacksonville, Florida, with her husband, Tim, working toward her aspirations of becoming a business owner. Demi loves using her influencer platform to create a community that supports women and to share her passion for health, faith, beauty, fashion and lifestyle. For more information, visit demileigh.com.