During the cold winter months, Detroit's homeless population is at great risk for frostbite, infection, and a number of other maladies of the feet. The Neighborhood Service Organization has launched a pair of wellness and outreach programs to prevent and care for foot-related issues among the city's homeless population.

A Henry Ford Health System physician and a group of volunteers are gathering today at the Tumaini Center to participate in the ninth annual Our Hearts to Your Soles event. There Dr. David Katcherian and volunteers will provide Detroit's homeless population with shoes, socks, foot examinations, and foot care.

The event takes place today, Tuesday, Nov. 24, from 6 p.m. to 9 p.m. The Tumaini Center is the Neighborhood Service Organization's crisis support center for the chronically homeless. It is located at 3430 Third Ave.

The Neighborhood Service Organization and its Homeless Recovery Services, along with partners Level One Bank and Behavioral Health Professionals, Inc., have also launched an inaugural sock drive they're calling "Sock It to Me." The sock drive, which began Nov. 16, runs through Nov. 30.

New socks can be dropped at marked bins at Behavioral Health Professionals at 1333 Brewery Park, Ste. 300, in Detroit. Bins can also be found in suburban Farmington Hills at the Level One Bank Headquarters at 32991 Hamilton Ct.

"Members of Detroit's homeless population spend countless hours walking from place to place, often with inadequate, dirty socks and poorly fitting shoes," NSO President and CEO Sheilah P. Clay says in a statement. "Having clean, dry socks and the proper shoes can mean the difference between life and death for those on the streets."

Neighborhood Service Organization is a 60-year-old nonprofit dedicated to ending homelessness in Detroit. In addition to the Tumaini Center, NSO operates several different housing programs, as well as a mobile outreach program.

NSO is headquartered in the Bell Building at 882 Oakman Blvd.

Writer: MJ Galbraith

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