As seven o’clock strikes the top of the hour, a knock is heard on the large metal black door. A volunteer opens the door with a friendly greeting to the woman waiting outside. It’s Foot Friday at Streets Alive. From 7 to 9 p.m. volunteers offer their time to provide foot care to individuals who spend their days walking on the streets.
According to the National Institute of Health, homeless people have a high disposition to developing foot problems. Because they spend much of their time walking, many times without proper footwear, this leads to a variety of foot issues. Common foot disorders like corns, callouses, ingrown toenails, trench foot and athletes foot are frequently seen in the homeless. If these issues are not cared for early, they can lead to more severe problems.
This is why dedicated volunteers gather at Streets Alive once a week to provide foot care to Lethbridge’s less fortunate. Dr. Earle Covert is a retired physician and dedicated volunteer. Every week he offers a few hours of his time to help take care of feet. “If you don’t have a good foundation, you can’t expect anything from the top part of you,” he said. “Many of our people walk a lot and get blisters.”
Mary-Gaye Pinches, has been an RN for 40 years. Pinches specializes in foot care and has volunteered at Foot Fridays for the last five years. “It’s so important. Most of them walk an awful lot so they have a lot of foot problems. We have watched the people who need this service, and their feet have improved 100 per cent,” she said.
The service provides nail cutting and filing, they take care of blisters, corns and callouses as well as soak and massage feet. They also launder dirty socks or provide new socks if necessary. Streets Alive also has shoes they provide to those who need proper footwear.
“It’s nice to have these people come in and look after our feet. It’s nice to know people care,” remarked a man using the service.
“They love to come,” said Pinches. “They get sandwiches, coffee and get their feet warm. We have relationships with them. It’s just fun and good.”
Covert says they are always in need of donations like good shoes and socks. Financial donations help them provide nail files and other foot care products. For more information on Foot Friday’s you can contact Ken Kissick, Founder of Streets Alive.
Some less fortunate people get their feet soaked during Foot Fridays at Streets Alive on Jan. 22.
Dr. Earle Covert makes some conversation as he files toenails during Foot Fridays at Streets Alive on Jan. 22.
