What is the Loaves & Fishes Foot Clinic?
“The foot clinic is an event that happens once a month at Loaves & Fishes. Volunteers and I set up stations in the park where we do basic foot washing, clip toenails, and scrub dry skin from people’s feet. When the cleaning is done, we apply lotion and provide a new pair of socks.
I do the foot clinic because I think it is a nice gesture to do for people. Some may not think that it is a necessity, but a lot of the guests that we see are on their feet every day, walking miles a day, and their feet are not cared for. It is not a service that is provided in many places, and it is kind of a forgotten need for people. It’s a nice thing to do; people really appreciate it.
One other thing that’s nice about it, something I think about, is that a lot of our guests are very lonely. Some do not get a lot of positive touch, so for a lot of our guests having their feet washed is possibly the only physical touch they’re going to get all day or month, and I think that this small gesture makes a difference.”
-Annie Church, Community Service Director at Loaves & Fishes