In time for the holidays, underprivileged adults in Pittsburgh received free foot screenings and proper fitting shoes, thanks to UPMC orthopaedic surgeon Dr. Stephen Conti, his family and fellow foot-care professionals.
During the annual Our Hearts Your Soles event, Conti and a team of UPMC foot-care specialists provided foot exams and, based on medical recommendations, University of Pittsburgh prosthetic and orthotic student volunteers fitted participants for shoes. Conti partnered with Catholic Charities to host the event, and more than 400 pairs of shoes were donated from Red Wing Shoe Company and Superfeet.
“Ill-fitting and disrepair shoes can lead to many foot problems with the poor, especially those who live outside during the Pittsburgh winter,” Conti said. “The volunteers and I are privileged to be able to serve these individuals each year through our charity.”
The annual event, which is in its 12th year, was founded by Matthew Conti with the help of his father in the hope to fill the gap in services provided to the homeless population. Since then it’s become a national occasion, taking place across more than 20 cities this year.