Keith Gordon, cobbler at JJ's Shoe Repair, says he wants to collect donations for low-income or homeless people in Kamloops.

(ASHLEY LEGASSIC / iNFOnews.ca)

KAMLOOPS - A shoe repair shop in North Kamloops is asking for the public's help in hopes of giving back to the community.

Keith Gordon, cobbler at JJ's Shoe Repair on Royal Avenue, says the shop will be accepting any gently used outerwear people wish to donate.

He got the idea from a fellow shoemaker who shared his story on the Shoe Service Institute of America's website. Shortly after reading about it, Gordon posted a sign in his store asking for donations.

Any type of outerwear can be donated to the shop, including used footwear coats and jackets.

"We'll recondition them, then each month we will donate them to low income (and) the homeless," the sign reads.

Gordon says he sees a lot of low-income Kamloops residents around the area of the repair shop, which made him want to ensure the donations went right to locals.

"If people don't want (their stuff), why throw it away?" Gordon says. "You might as well give back (to the community)."

Gordon says he will recondition the items that are not beyond repair or too expensive to fix before donating them. 

He says he has been speaking with a woman from St. George's Church on Royal Avenue near Knox Street and believes he will give the donations to them for distribution.

Gordon says he doesn't mind cleaning or touching up gently used items to give to the less fortunate.

"It takes a little time, but it's not a big deal," Gordon says.

If you want to make donations to JJ's Shoe Repair, you can bring in any outerwear from purses and belts to leather coats and boots. The shop is located at the corner of Tranquille Road and Royal Avenue. They are closed Sundays and Mondays, but open 10:30 a.m. to 6:30 p.m. from Tuesday to Saturday.

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