Copyright Star Tribune
Around 400 people, young and old with many pets, formed lines outside the Catholic Charities Dorothy Day building for the David Lewis Memorial “Our Hearts to Your Soles” event. More than 100 volunteer physicians, surgeons, nurses and residents fitted people with shoes and long gray socks for the winter months. Some listened to lawyers’ advice about evictions, while others waited to get foot care, vaccinations, and health screenings. It marked 19 years for the event, which began in partnership with Red Wing Shoes to give footwear (Red Wing provided 500 pairs) and provide care to Minnesotans in need. The concept has since spread to more than a dozen locations across the United States. But Dr. Lance Silverman, a Twin Cities orthopedic surgeon who organized the event, said Minnesota remains the busiest location when it comes to demand for shoes. “People don’t realize how important your feet are until you’re down one and in trouble,” Silverman said. “When you’re living on the edge, like those who are less fortunate and those who are dealing with homelessness, your feet are important to get you places where you can get safe.” One client told volunteers that new shoes allow him to take metro buses, which had barred him from riding without them. Another thanked organizers for composite safety shoes and explained that they needed such shoes to apply for work. “It’s going to be cold out here, and we’ll have snow out here,” Howell said. ”You need your foot protected." Organizers agreed, explaining that helping vulnerable residents find help and services early lessens the chances they will need hospitalization or more expensive treatments later. “It’s a great message to our guests who oftentimes are trying not to be seen and trying to just get by,” said Keith Kozerski, chief program officer for Catholic Charities. “That message and that feeling of dignity and self-worth is more than anything that anybody can pay for.” Silverman and other organizers hope more residents donate their time and money to help vulnerable Minnesotans. Such help can go a long way, said Paula Juaire. Juaire, who received a new pair of shoes Saturday, has been homeless for nine months with her sister and 14-year-old dog, Loki. She wears her mother’s wedding rings and her father’s World War II Navy tags near her heart to remind her of all they did for her, and she hopes to provide for others by volunteering for Catholic Charities. “We had a family here yesterday with seven or eight children, and they were homeless. I don’t know if they finally found a place for them or not,” Juaire said. “We’re all in the same boat, just different circumstances.”
