COUNTYWIDE : Sole Intent Was to Help the Needy

Darryl Caffey walked into the basement of First Presbyterian Church in Santa Ana on Wednesday wearing the only shoes he owned--a pair of worn-out sneakers.

“I’ve put some mileage on these. They’re getting a little thin,” said Caffey as he lifted his right foot and showed the sole of his shoe.

Caffey, 43, who is homeless, said he needed size 11 tennis shoes and size 10 1/2 dress shoes.

“A homeless person needs shoes more than anything else, if you’re trying to better your life,” said Caffey, who came to Orange County a month ago from Atlanta. “You can’t get a job without a decent pair of shoes on.”

Dr. Ben Ching, a Santa Ana podiatrist, handed Caffey a pair of used white tennis shoes with red stripes.

“I think this is wonderful,” Caffey said.

Ching and other Orange County foot doctors decided to put themselves in another’s shoes and collected more than 6,000 pairs of used footwear for the homeless and others in need.

Members of the Orange County Podiatric Medical Assn. held the drive last month. The shoes were distributed Wednesday through Episcopal Service Alliance’s community service agencies in Santa Ana, Huntington Beach, Laguna Beach, Anaheim and San Clemente.

“We’re basically overjoyed it worked so well,” said Dr. Victor Cachia, president of the Podiatric Medical Assn.

Shoes were collected at members’ offices and at the Walking Store at MainPlace/Santa Ana.

“All these shoes were sitting in people’s closets going to waste,” Cachia said of the piles of about 3,000 shoes in boxes and plastic bags in the church basement. “We’re recycling them. Many of these shoes would’ve ended up in the trash.”

People who stopped by the Santa Ana church said they appreciated having another pair of shoes--even if they were someone else’s discards.

“This is a godsend for the homeless. I know, I’m homeless,” said Sherry, who asked that her full name not be used.

“When you’re on the street, you do a lot of walking,” said Sherry, 54, who received three pairs of tennis shoes and a pair of boots. “You need shoes that fit.”

Some of the donated shoes were unusable, and there was a shortage of children’s shoes and larger sizes for men, Cachia said.

But people didn’t mind that they couldn’t find exactly what they wanted.

Valerie Baker of Santa Ana said she would take whatever fit.

“The shoes I’ve got now are just about worn out,” said Baker, who walked out with a nearly new pair of comfy, flat, lace-up shoes.

Baker didn’t have any luck finding a pair of size 12 sneakers for her 16-year-old son.

Ching, who helped folks find the right size shoes, picked out a pair of dress shoes for Baker’s son. “They’re not the best,” he told Baker.

Baker shrugged. The left shoe had a tiny hole at the top. “He’ll see the hole and would never wear them to school,” she said.

Others who received shoes said they couldn’t afford to buy a new pair.

Patricia Williams, 38, said she lives on a meager fixed income and has a sick 10-month-old son who has a heart problem and needs surgery.

“I can’t afford normal, everyday things,” said Williams, who lives in Santa Ana.

Williams poked through boxes of shoes and found tennis shoes for her son and herself. “I don’t care what they look like anymore,” she said. “It’s the comfort. I’m just glad to have another pair.”