Unsurprisingly for a personal trainer, Point Cook’s Chevy Lowndes had a lot of spare sneakers lying around.
“I had like half a dozens pairs of sneakers that were sitting there gathering dust and I thought ‘I’m not gonna give them to an op-shop to make money.”
What she decided to do with them was surprising though.
“I thought I’m gonna give them to a charity or organisation that supports those less fortunate.”
That was two and half years ago.
Today, those half a dozen dusty sneakers have morphed into thousands of shoes that Ms Lowndes provides to those in need through her charity Sneaker Rescue.
“I collect people’s good condition retired sneakers and then they go directly to the services who provide for those less fortunate,” explained Ms Lowndes of how Sneaker Rescue distributes the shoes which is done with the assistance of another not-for-profit, Anonymous X.
“I just rang them and asked if I could drop some sneakers off and ever since then they’ve been extremely helpful and I really appreciate their support,” said Ms Lowndes of Anonymous X who park at the Queen Victoria Market and give away the sneakers as well as dropping them off at other locations.
The sneakers are provided to homeless people, women and children feeling domestic violence as well as the growing cohort struggling to pay bills.
Ms Lowndes said for these people, sneakers were more than just sports shoes.
“People don’t realise how important sneakers are.
“You see homeless people on the street and they’re wearing thongs in winter.
“It’s important to have good sneakers to take care of your feet and to give you a sense of dignity.”
For more information, search for Sneaker Rescue on Instagram.
Cade Lucas
