Siloam Mission opened up its new podiatry room on Thursday to provide foot care services to those who use the homeless shelter.
The room is located in the Saul Sair Health Centre at 300 Princess Street and was opened through the help of generous donations.
Several devoted podiatrists and foot nurses volunteer their time and expertise to Siloam Mission clients every week. Canadian Footwear and the Foot Health Centre regularly provide footwear and custom orthotics for patient referrals.
“The folks we serve are walking or standing constantly, without proper footwear,” said Floyd Perras, executive director of Siloam Mission. “Their feet get wet and frostbitten. The skin breaks down. They aren’t able to properly look after wounds, blisters, and calluses. These things quickly snowball into major health issues.”
Last year, 234 people visited Siloam’s health centre with foot-related problems.
— Staff
