A business owner who started a campaign to help those less fortunate this winter has received an overwhelming response from the public.

Darrell Hynes, the owner of The Honest Cobbler, a shoe repair shop in St. John’s, recently started the “Give Winter a Boot” campaign where he collects and repairs gently used winter boots and donates them to the Salvation Army and The Gathering Place.

Hynes says he was inspired to start the project after interactions with customers who he could tell couldn’t afford to buy new boots.

The response thus far, he explains, has been phenomenal with over 200 pairs of boots, shoes, and a full box of winter hats and socks being collected.

He thought he would just be collecting boots here and there, but says the response has been terrific. Hynes has decided to turn it into an annual event.