For the RecordNew shoes delighted the residents of Dayspring Village Dec. 15.Advocates and families of the local chapter of the National Alliance on Mental Illness visited residents at the licensed 96-bed limited mental health assisted living facility. they presented the residents with the annual NAMI Christmas party, led by the volunteers and advocates who work with mental health needs of local residents. the residents at Dayspring Village were treated to a pizza party, homemade goodies and gifts of new shoes.”For many of our residents these shoes are perhaps the only time in the next year they will get a new pair of shoes. For many who live with symptoms of schizophrenia, the illness and its symptoms can cause a loss of sleep, restlessness and often many will find walking a way to help relieve the symptoms or stress of the illness,” said Douglas Adkins, executive director.”Living with schizophrenia is a struggle and can be very stressful and for many new shoes are a welcome gift that provide comfort to their feet and also help reduce other longer term conditions with chronic back pain and other problems. Many of our residents when they go to the hospital, the staff will take away the shoelaces. once they are ready to come home, often they do not get the shoelaces back so they have to try and walk in shoes with no shoelaces.Adkins continued, “If you have ever tried to do this you can understand the problem and also how it makes you feel as a person. we discovered many years ago that the Velcro straps were a perfect answer to this problem and would ensure residents would have the dignity of good walking shoes even when they were ready for discharge. ever since this NAMI ‘shoe party’ started over 15 years ago by local advocacy leader Hattie Morris, we have seen many regain some dignity through the gift of new shoes.”He went on to say, “Often when former residents are at other facilities, some of the nurses at the hospital can recognize they were a resident at our facility simply by looking at the shoes on their feet. These shoes are a blessing in more ways than one and we are grateful.” 
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