SYRACUSE, N.Y. (NCC NEWS) — The Syracuse Rescue Mission is pairing up with the Discount Shoe Repair again this year to collect shoes for those who do not have access. Ralph Rotella, the owner of the shoe shop, has been holding collections for years, but recently he paired with the Rescue Mission to distribute the donations to the neediest members of Syracuse.
Rotella has been perfecting the art of repairing shoes for years now, but the change didn’t begin right away. Fourteen years ago, Rotella noticed a man walking past his shop with no shoes on. He quickly called the man inside and asked him what size shoe he wore. “I went in the back and found his size. He put them on, walked away, and I never saw him again,” Rotella says.
That’s when Rotella realized he could create a collection for community members to donate their old shoes. It started off simple with Rotella collecting just 35 pairs of shoes the first year. However, the word spread and last year, he collected upwards of 40,000 pairs of shoes.
His work gained attention throughout the city of Syracuse. In fact, December 14th has been named Ralph Rotella Day within the city.
Alissa Rascio, a customer, says she finds joy in donating old shoes lying around the house. “He was so grateful,” Rascio said. “And that gave me such a good feeling to know that I was doing good and dropping the shoes off in the exact right place.”
Rotella expresses his gratitude for the donations, saying, “it makes me feel like an angel.” The collections take place every Sunday at Discount Shoe Repair in Syracuse, New York.
