At our Mobile Clinics, we always encourage our student volunteers to bring extras from home that are not in use — clothes, books and other similar materials. At our last Mobile Clinic in Riobamba, Ecuador two of our chapters went above and beyond and brought hundreds of pairs of shoes to give todifferent communities in the area.

For weeks before their arrival to Riobamba, students from the University of Puerto Rico — Mayagüez and the University of Puerto Rico — Rio Piedrasunderwent muchplanning and collaborationin order to successfully bring shoes to communities in Ecuador.

The idea to bring shoes to Mobile Clinics came originally from a student at Cornell University, Lorena Montalvo. After participating in two different MEDLIFE Clinics, she noticed a particular need for shoes in the various communities that we serve, especially for the children. After hearing about her idea, the two chapters in Puerto Rico decided to adopt the project and bring shoes to the communities at their trip destination of Riobamba, Ecuador, thus fulfilling the missions of the two organizations involved: MEDLIFE and Footprints, a new organization founded at Cornell University.

Thanks to various donations and the collaboration with the Boy Scouts of America in Puerto Rico, who held a Jamboree for the cause, the chapters were able to collect a total of 452 pairs of shoes to distribute among community members. The student volunteers were greeted with smiling faces from children and adults alike as they received their new pairs of shoes.
“It was any amazing experience seeing how the kids immediately put the shoes on once they received them, excited for their new gift,” said Eduard Valdes,President of Mobile Clinicsfor UPR – Mayaguez. “It made me reconsider the importance we place on material goods, something that media expertly infuses into people’s minds as a necessity.”

Congratulations to UPR – Mayaguez and UPR – Rio Piedras for successfully carrying out this amazing project, and we look forward to your future involvement and achievements with MEDLIFE!