In wet cold climates, shoes and socks are essential to health and survival, especially for people living on the street.
Students from Discovery College’s community service worker program helped the homeless and other underprivileged people Tuesday by handing out shoes and socks free to anyone who needed them.
Ten students plus college staff brought boxes stuffed with donated new and used shoes and socks to the Centennial Fountain in front of Port Place Shopping Centre.
Melodie Whalley, program instructor, said the location was chosen because it is a gathering place for street people.
Part of the mental health portion of the program curriculum requires students to come up with a project that benefits underprivileged people in the community.
“They decided, because there are so many people homeless in our community or with mental illness and because we have such a rainy community, socks and shoes would probably be a really good thing to give out,” Whalley said.
One student also gave away tomato plants in small pots.
“It’s surprising how many homeless people have taken them just to have something in a pot to watch something grow,” Whalley said.
Shoes and socks were donated by Quarterway and McGirr elementary schools, Five Acres Junior Alternative School, the Boys and Girls Club of Greater Vancouver Island, and On Eagles’ Wings Church. More donations came from Central Builders and Stedmans Variety Department Store of Parksville, private donors and Discovery College students.
The event proved popular with people who frequent the area. The students put out nearly a pickup load of donations at 10 a.m. and by noon most items were taken.
“Certainly it will all go,” Whalley said. “It’s amazing how much has gone so far.”