For more than 10 years, I have been traveling back to my home in Eastern Europe not only as a tourist but also as a young man compelled by a greater cause. I have a desire to provide hope to oppressed people in my homeland. This drive has triggered my passion to seek out the most vital needs in the region and discover a pragmatic way to help.

As I took my annual summer trips to various parts of Romania, I encountered other visitors, relief groups and missionaries. As I went from village to village and orphanage to orphanage, I realized that one of the most basic and essential needs was for proper footwear. When I got back home, I did what I could and sent clothing and shoes to different organizations.

When I visited Romania during the winter months, I truly saw the urgency for someone to help. During these months when the country has the least exposure from outside visitors, I watched children walk to school in knee-deep snow with terribly worn shoes. In one town I saw a young girl out in the freezing slush carrying a bundle of firewood and wearing only a pair of sandals. Her ankles and feet were completely exposed to the elements.

Having grown up in a small village in Romania, I lived through many of those treacherous days. I walked to school, played and did my chores outside until my feet were frozen. Many older people in our village had lost their toes to frostbite. I also remembered one of my favorite winter gifts—a pair of rubber boots passed down from my three older brothers. These vivid memories compelled me to help. I knew that I could bring hope to these people by utilizing the opportunities and resources I had gained in my new homeland of America.

The result is Roma Provisions, a hybrid company that combines business with charity. We design and sell rain boots primarily in the United States, while our subsidiary—Roma for All—distributes boots to children living in poverty. Our goal is to sell boots to the fortunate and give boots to the less fortunate through a “one for one” concept. For every pair of Roma Boots sold, we will give a pair to a child in need.