HARTFORD, Conn. (AP) - A line of people stood outside Dunkin’ Donuts Park on Saturday morning, but they weren’t there for baseball: They wanted New Balance sneakers.
Between 300 and 400 homeless people showed up for Footwear With Care’s “Spring Sneaker Party” at the ballpark.
Volunteers from UConn and the Hartford Police Department helped them pick out free, factory-fresh sneakers and socks, and 10 volunteer podiatrists provided free foot exams.
“Homeless people tend to walk everywhere, and in all weather. They really need good shoes,” said Abby Sullivan Moore, founder of the nonprofit Footwear With Care campaign.
For the past three years, the all-volunteer organization has been running events in Greater Hartford where homeless people can receive donated shoes, sneakers or boots.
City police Officer Jim Barrett, an Army veteran, is one of the central volunteers in the operation, and Sullivan Moore said his generosity was the inspiration for Footwear With Care. When Barrett saw a Hartford homeless veteran wearing flip-flops in winter several years ago, he bought the man shoes, socks and food - and then looked for a way to help more people.
“In the service, you don’t leave a man or woman behind - and I don’t want to leave anyone behind here, either,” Barrett said. “When someone is down and out, you want to help. And the thing is, anyone of us could be homeless.”
Based on Barrett’s gift to the veteran, Sullivan Moore built a team of volunteers to gather donated footwear for the extremely poor. The campaign later focused on grants and cash donations so it can buy new footwear - at a deep discount - to give out.
Fleet Feet Sports owner Stephanie Blozy has gotten New Balance to provide sneakers and non-slip shoes at roughly half price, and Saucony provides reduced-price work boots.
“We can create a spark with people who haven’t had new shoes in years - or maybe ever. And that spark can put them on a new path,” Blozy said.
Saturday’s event brought in several people who work at restaurants or commercial kitchens but reside in homeless shelters. They need sturdy, non-slip shoes to keep their jobs, but can’t afford to buy them, she said.
“You don’t realize how not having good shoes can limit you,” Blozy said.
Bloomfield podiatrist Lynn LeBlanc lines up podiatrists willing to donate a couple of half-days a year to provide foot exams; frequently, they find infections, blisters or untreated injuries.
“Today there was a woman with shortness of breath and swelling in her legs. It was most likely a blood clot - we sent her to the hospital,” LeBlanc said. “Another woman had an (untreated) ankle fracture. A lot of what we see is from neglect, or where people just hope it will go away.”
Footwear With Care accepts donations through https://footwearwithcare.org. It has provided nearly 3,000 pairs of boots and shoes in the past three years and arranged 650 medical foot exams for homeless people.
One of the recipients Saturday said he was eager to get dry, clean footwear.
“I’ve been living in the woods since the day after Christmas,” said Kezner DeCordova, who said he wants to find work in a warehouse or restaurant. “It’s not easy.”
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Online: https://bit.ly/2FYwxle
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Information from: Hartford Courant, http://www.courant.com
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