Free medical foot screening exams and shoes were provided to the less fortunate.
Dr. Taranow, of the Peace Health Medical Group Center for Orthopedics and Sports Medicine, was joined by volunteer nurses and staff from the Center and from Cornerstone Orthotics and Prosthetics for the second year in a row.
Hearts to Soles, a non-profit organization that provides free medical foot screening examinations and shoes to less fortunate people, collaborates with local orthopedic physicians and Soles4Souls.
Soles4Souls facilitates the donations of new and used shoes, which are distributed around the world. At the event in Bellingham, fifty pairs of donated shoes were distributed following Dr. Taranow’s examinations.
“I am grateful to be part of this project, and thankful to the medical professionals as well as the staff at the Lighthouse Mission,” said Dr. Taranow. “Community service embodies our core values at PeaceHealth – respect, stewardship, collaboration, and social justice.”
Nationwide, Soles4Souls, in partnership with Hearts to Soles, will provide new boots, socks and medical screenings from foot doctors for over 3,000 homeless men in 35 states.
“We are so thankful for Dr. Taranow and the Lighthouse Mission for reaching out to people to provide a vital service that helps make an immediate impact on people in a great time of need,” said Wayne Elsey, founder and CEO of Soles4Souls. “A pair of durable boots can fill a person with hope and confidence. It’s a major step towards employment and building self-esteem,” he said.
See the article in PeaceHealth News.