Imagine how your feet would feel if you wore the same socks for a whole week. Uncomfortable, right? Imagine keeping your shoes on almost 24 hours a day for most of that week. Think about not only the hygiene issues, but the other health issues, that would arise. Socks provide padding, and prevent blisters. They absorb moisture, and prevent infections. The provide warmth, and prevent frostbite. When they’ve worn thin, or become soaked, they don”t do those things very well.
When we think about the needs of the homeless we think of food and shelter, we think of warm clothing and hygiene items like soap, shampoo, and toothpaste, but we rarely think about the importance of clean socks. At Helping Hands we pass out donated clothing as we have it available, but the thing we’re most asked for, more than pants or jackets, more than hats and gloves and scarves, are socks. People ask for socks more often than they ask for razors or toothbrushes. Being able to hand someone a brand new, clean, white pair of tube socks can make their day. Unfortunately, we have a greater demand than we have supply. We serve around a hundred people a day, and when we have them to give we pass out about 10 pairs of socks. We actually try to keep track of who we give socks to, because if we gave a pair to someone yesterday, if we have some to give today we want to make sure other people get some. It’s absurb, isn’t it, the idea of rationing socks?
If anyone has material possessions and sees a brother or sister in need but has no pity on them, how can the love of God be in that person? Dear children, let us not love with words or speech but with actions and in truth. — 1 John 3:17-18 (NIV)
One of the things I’ve been thinking about, in terms of my personal ministry with the homeless, is how to get more socks. I’m thinking of ways to ask for donations, both of clean socks and money to buy socks. I started thinking of singer Michael Franti, who has gone barefoot for 10 years because an estimate 1.5 billion people do not own shoes, and the organization Soles for Souls, which recycles shoes for the needed. I did some research on the internet and found that there are “sock ministries” to raise socks for the homeless, mostly local efforts taking donations of new socks. There has to be a way to better meet the need.
It’s something that I’m going to continue to pray about, and the brainstorm on. If anyone has any thoughts, please share.
I recommend a drive for socks. Facebook page maybe. let me know how to help. My grandfather fought in WWII in the ardennes forest, the thing all those troops loved? socks, warm, dry socks.
Posted by bonefather | November 8, 2011, 12:27 pmI’m working on coordinating something.
Posted by Berin Kinsman | November 8, 2011, 12:56 pmI think if the sock ministries can get a network going you really have something here. Keep me in the loop. Socks are definitely something I appreciate. Fresh, clean, new socks are a singular pleasure – I would go so far as to list it as one of my very favorite things. I know after some long days in fast food… ugh. Best left unspoken.
You tell me what you need from me, Bear. THIS. This I can get behind.
Posted by drcheckmate | November 9, 2011, 5:51 am