Last year, when Allison Mitchell kicked off the Toasty Toes campaign in Guelph, she was expecting a collection of approximately 100 socks. To her surprise, the campaign collected 7,781 pairs.
“It was like an obstacle course around my house,” she says about the overwhelming response to her campaign which collects new and warm socks for those either experiencing homelessness or are at risk of it.
“This year I feel like I am personally better prepared to put in time and energy. I know what to expect this year.”
Last year, Mitchell started the campaign with five organizations and collected the socks in her home with her family. As the number of socks grew, so did the number of organizations involved.
“The generosity of Guelph was absolutely amazing. And that has continued. There were a lot of people last year who had reached out saying let me know this year,” says Michell.
The campaign will kick off once again this year on World Homeless Day on Oct. 10 and continue to Nov. 10. The campaign collects socks for men, women and children and will be sent to the same 12 local organizations as last year: Chalmers Community Services Centre, Dunara Homes for Recovery, The Drop-In Centre, Guelph-Wellington Women in Crisis, Guelph Food Bank, John Howard Society (Guelph), Lakeside HOPE House, Michael House, Parkwood Gardens Neighborhood Group, Sanguen Health Community Van, West Willow Village Neighbourhood Group and Wyndham House.
Mitchell says last year, she donated 2,000 socks to Lakeside HOPE House which lasted them four months which she says is not long at all.
“I think that socks are one of those things that we really take for granted and its a really easy way to make an impact,” says Mitchell.
“Thinking about it, foot health is so important to your overall health and if you don't have warm dry socks then your foot health is at risk.”
The Toasty Toes campaign began in Waterloo Region by a friend of Mitchell, Sharon Gilroy-Dreher, in 2013 and has been gradually growing ever since. Last year, Gilroy-Dreher’s campaign collected 39,500 pairs of socks.
“There are lots of people who can't afford clean warm socks. They cant go to their drawers and get a pair of socks,” says Mitchell.
“I think one of the reasons it has been so successful is that people come to the realization that 'yeah, I do take for granted that I could get myself a warm pair of socks.'”
To facilitate the collection, drop-off and organization of the campaign, Mitchell organized 12 designated locations for people to drop off the socks throughout the city.
The 18 public drop-off locations for warm socks are:
April's Accounting Services, 100 Crimea St, Unit B7 (second floor)
Blackwell Supply Co., Stone Road Mall
Canada Post, 88 Wyndham St N.
Colley Insurance, 1-34 Harvard Rd.
Diabetes Care Guelph, 83 Dawson Rd.
Diabetes Care Guelph, 33 Farley Dr.
Guelph City Hall, 1 Carden St.
Guelph Family Health Team, 55 Wyndham St. N., #212
Guelph Orthotics, 33 Farley Drive, Unit #13
Market Commons Convenience, 5 Gordon St.
Meridian Credit Union, 2 Clair Rd. E.
Meridian Credit Union, 200 Speedvale Ave. W.
Meridian Credit Union, 370 Stone Rd. W.
Pita Pit, 204 Silvercreek Pkwy. N.
Smitten Apparel, 259 Grange Rd.
Starbucks, Stone Road Mall Stone Rd Mall (inside Indigo)
Tiny Town Children's Discovery, 66 Arrow Road, Unit D
West Willow Village Neighbourhood Group, 495 Willow Road, Westwood Public School, Portable #1
