So what exactly do the members of the Rotary Club of West Ottawa and their friends do when they visit the Shoe Bank Canada warehouse every month? The first answer is they sort shoes! The second answer is they strengthen fellowship through working side-by side.
The latest shoe sorting work party on July 6th for Shoe Bank Canada brought together members of RCWO, members of the Rotary Club of Stittsville, former RCWO members as well as family members and friends.
Big thanks to Caroline Clarke and Phil Bronsther of the Stittsville Rotary Club for coming out. And big thanks for Phil bringing his grandson Jake and his neighbour Nancy along, both veterans of the shoe sorting job. Big thanks to former RCWO member Alf for bringing his whole family out (Christine, Ally, Sophie, Mia and Kai) for a morning of sorting in the shoe warehouse, their first experience doing so. Thanks to Alex, Jade and Hazel of Shoe Bank for all their hard work. And thanks to the RCWO Rotarians, Ron Doll, Marilyn Letts, Merv Letts, Doug Heyland and Brett Brooking -- and his son Carter. See below for what they got up to.
In order to understand how our club assists Shoe Bank Canada's Ottawa operations, you need to understand what Shoe Bank Canada does in Ottawa. Simply put, they collect shoes at various locations around the city (there are collection bins in every Dymon Storage location) and then bring them together in a Dymon Storage location they call their warehouse. From there the great majority of the shoes are paired up and moved into large bins for eventual transport to locations outside Canada.
Some of the best shoes are held back and sorted according to what's needed here in Ottawa for distribution to local clients according to their needs. These shoes range from children's running shoes, to steel-toed work boots, to dress shoes for someone needing to put their best foot forward at a job interview.
That's where our club comes in. About once-a-month RCWO gathers together a band of merry members to spend some time in the shoe warehouse sorting the shoes into the large bin and keeping our eyes peeled for the gems in excellent condition for their local clients. It's a fun activity. There are lots of laughs. And we couldn't be happier helping Shoe Bank Canada.