JOI Joins “Soles4Souls” to Provide Free Foot Screenings and Shoes to Sulzbacher Center Residents | Community Spirit

Jacksonville Orthopaedic Institute (JOI) physicians are participating in the national “Soles4Souls” effort to provide free foot screenings and footwear to Sulzbacher residents on Saturday, November 19 from 9 am to noon.  This is fourth year JOI has joined 37 sites in 34 U.S. cities to help relieve foot problems experienced by the homeless. Shoes are donated by Red Wing Shoes nationwide for this event and new socks are provided by DignityUWear.

Coordinator Hiram A. Carrasquillo, MD, JOI orthopaedic surgeon, was asked by founder Stephen Conti, MD, to participate.  He will be joined by the following JOI physicians:  Timothy R. Hastings, MD (JOI – Beaches), and Maxwell W. Steele III, MD (JOI – University), and Aaron Michael Bates, MD (JOI – Orange Park/Clay County) who will work along with 50+ JOI volunteer staff members and their families, including several Shands orthopaedic residents.

“JOI is pleased to be able to come together to provide this important screening and shoe-fitting with support from our friends at Hanger’s Prosthetics (George Eubanks), Red Wing Shoes (John Sintilla), and Boger’s Shoes (Greg Boger),” said Hiram A. Carrasquillo, MD, member of the JOI Foot & Ankle Team.  “We are honored to participate in this program to benefit 100 people at The Sulzbacher Center just prior to our Thanksgiving holiday.”

The homeless tend to overlook foot and ankle problems until they have disabling pain.  Many continue to wear inappropriate footwear because they do not have resources available to help themselves. 

“We welcome and give heartfelt thanks to the JOI physicians and volunteers, this program is a wonderful benefit to the residents of  The Sulzbacher Center,” says Cindy Funkhouser, President & CEO.

Matthew Conti and his father, Dr. Stephen Conti, an orthopaedic surgeon and friend of Dr. Carrasquillo, along with Laura Conti, Matthew’s sister, who is expanding the network internationally, coordinate their family Hearts To Soles charity (Pittsburgh, PA) with Soles4Souls  www.soles4souls.org, an international charity that collects and distributes new and gently worn shoes to needy people around the world.