Best Foot Forward

Dan Hamer, above, rests on boxes of sneakers he has collected for the homeless from donors across the nation. Working out of his house in Orange County’s Trabuco Canyon, Hamer has invested about $1,000 to finance the project. He has rented a post office box, placed ads in sports magazines and distributed flyers at the Los Angles Marathon and other events. “It’s just been amazing how many people have responded and want to help,” Hamer, 34, said. Some of the sneakers arrive soiled or in need of shoelaces, but most are close to perfect, Hamer’s wife, Kathleen, said. The reward for the Hamers’ efforts is the response at Union Rescue Mission on Los Angeles’ Skid Row to the chance of getting free shoes. “Shoes are so hard to come by that if you go to sleep outside at night, they’ll try and take them,” said Ray McCann, communications manager for the mission. Crowd gathers around Hamer’s car when he makes a delivery, middle photo. Harold Brown, bottom, tries on a pair at the mission.