St. Stephen's Human Services in Minneapolis, MN is an organization dedicated to ending homelessness. They operate a shelter, housing, employment, advocacy, outreach, and recovery services to those who are homeless or living in extreme poverty. Thousands of people benefit each year.
With the cold winter months approaching, St. Stephen's wanted to make sure the area's less fortunate were provided with warm, sturdy shoes. Through the support of Soles4Souls and Our Hearts to Soles, dozens of physicians and volunteers gave free foot screenings and footwear to hundreds of homeless people.
"People tend to overlook foot and ankle problems until they have disabling pain," stated Dr. Lance Silverman, an orthopedic foot and ankle specialist. "While many wear inappropriate footwear, the homeless population suffers more because they do not have the resources to help themselves. Our goal is to get them back on track to good health."
The majority of foot and ankle problems stem from chronic overuse, obesity or improper shoe wear. The homeless in the Twin cities are even at a greater risk. Winter snow and ice increase the number of injuries from slips and falls while the cold temperatures add serious risk of frostbite. Soles4Souls provided the proper footwear needed to survive the bitter cold.
"I am so thankful to Soles4Souls for their generous donation," said Amber Becker with St. Stephen's Services. "I was fortunate enough to witness the long lines of people waiting for new shoes, tossing out their old torn ones and dancing in the new! It really does change lives, and not just those of the homeless."
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