Harvest Christian Church brings international Samaritan’s Feet campaign to Humber Summit
BY SALOME BIDA
A basketball, a pair of sneakers and the generosity of one missionary changed Emmanuel Ohonme’slife.
Today, with the help of Toronto based Harvest Christian Church, he is trying to do the same for others in need. Ohonme’s non-profit organization, Samaritan’s Feet, which has partnered internationally with groups across the United States; is now, for the first time ever, working in Toronto. The organization raises funds to provide shoes for disadvantaged individuals in the GTA and abroad.
“Many people ask, ‘why shoes?’ Where I grew up in Nigeria, having tennis shoes was like having a car,” Ohonme said. “When your parents live on less than a dollar a day, and a pair of shoes is like your parent’s income for two or three months.”
Ohonme received his first pair of shoes at age nine, when missionaries visited his town and challenged the kids at the park where he sold water and soda to a basketball shootout. Ohonme was the victor - and the winner of a new pair of tennis shoes.
Now, he works with groups around the world to provide shoes for those in need—to date, Samaritan’s Feet has donated more than 6,000,000 pairs of shoes globally.
Harvest Christian Church on Toryork Drive is the first Toronto based partner for Samaritan’s Feet.
With a significant percent of the local community living close to the poverty line, the church felt it was important to get involved with the initiative.
“Providing shoes can be quite impactful for a parent who has two or three children who need shoes at the same time,” Pastor Jon Sarpong said. “I think it’s important for us to recognize that in a city as affluent at Toronto is, we still have a large populous of families who are challenged everyday with basic needs. I am really hoping that the businesses and families that make up Humber Summit will support us to provide for these families.”
Individuals can support the campaign by donating $30.
Donations will go toward buying a new pair of shoes for someone in need. For more information, please visit: MyHcc.org