A local initiative is turning to the community for their help in collecting socks to keep Guelph’s most vulnerable population warm this fall and winter.
Socktober, an initiative launched by The Kitchen Bees aims to collect 1,000 new pairs of donated socks by the end of October.
“It's been a really chilly fall so far so we just wanted to make sure that our community stays warm, and that everybody has warm socks to turn to,” said Alexis Mimacho, project facilitator at Kitchen Bees.
“Foot health is super important and it is often overlooked when focusing on other vulnerable populations so we're just trying to make sure that no person is left behind and everyone is cared for.”
Socks will be collected in a donation box in the parking lot of The Church of the Apostles throughout the month of October.
"People can just drop off their socks or they can leave them at the front door and somebody will be there to pick them up at some point," said Mimacho.
The Kitchen Bees — an outreach project of The Church of the Apostles which works with The Bench to provide meals to the food insecure population in Guelph— learned about the need for socks during their food distribution program.
The Bench provides meals, clothing, and hygiene products to the most vulnerable in Downtown Guelph. In a press release, The Bench coordinator, Ed Pickersgill said the program goes through over 5,000 socks per year.
“Medium weight socks are the most valuable for colder seasons as they can be doubled up if needed,” said Pickersgill.
He said donors should avoid providing very thick socks because they can cause overheating and dampness. He also said the team is in the hopes of finding plain socks rather than ones with various colours and patterns.
Kitchen Bees coordinator, John Dennis said foot conditions are highly prevalent among homeless individuals and for many, a pair of dry socks and good fitting shoes or boots can have a profound effect on their wellbeing.
