Caring student offers new shoes and foot checks to the homeless
HOMELESS people across Glasgow are be given new shoes and foot health checks thanks to an enterprising student.
Margaryta Chos, 27, a fourth-year podiatry student at Glasgow Caledonian University, was awarded £1000 funding from Cosy Feet Footwear for the project, which was matched by the NHS.
The cash will also allow Ms Chos and her team of volunteers to “measure their feet, give them socks and shoes, talk about foot health, and how they can help take care themselves.”
Ms Chos said: “We purchased 83 pairs of shoes with the money, and now we are going to night shelters to catch the homeless people staying overnight.”
Cosy Feet, who run the competition each year, say “footwear is a specific area that requires attention” amongst the homeless.
It gives podiatry students the chance to devise a project that will help them develop their skills in the UK or abroad.
Ms Chos has previously volunteered for the homeless, collecting and distributing socks.
She aims to include fellow podiatry students from GCU, many of whom have worked with NHS patients in the past but haven’t worked with people on the streets.
She said: “It will be tough emotionally, every pair of feet we see, there will be a personal story attached.
“Each case, I’m sure will be heart-breaking, but at the same time, if you don’t invest yourself in your profession, you can’t deliver the best care.”
The project is due to start on January 23 and will continue until the team run out of supplies.
Helen Gallagher, Glasgow Caledonian University Assistant Vice-Principal said: “We are extremely proud of Margaryta and wish her every success in this very worthy project.”