Socktober is a worldwide event where communities give back to their local homeless shelters through the donation of socks, and this year, Girls of Green joins in on the giving.
Winter alone can be brutal for anyone without a home, so anything that can be done to improve their living conditions can ultimately better their winter. An average 600,000 people live on the streets each night in the United States. A little less than half of them don’t survive through the winter months. Whether it be hunger, illness, bad living conditions, or even the weather, homeless people battle through the long winter just to survive another year to have to do it all over again.
In 2011, Brad Montague created the Socktober donation drive. Through his realization of the large homeless population present in his community, he decided he wanted to find a way to help. After reaching out to multiple homeless shelters, he learned that socks are the least donated items to shelters. So, naturally, Montague wanted to change that. He began to record himself saying “Happy Socktober” as he would hand socks to those on the streets. These videos became very widespread in which more and more people began to participate as well. Montague later named the event ‘Socktober’ so everyone could participate in their own communities.
Since then, Socktober has exploded. Kids and adults have teamed up with their local homeless shelters through sock donations to help the homeless in their community. Last year, participants on all seven continents donated pairs of socks. Now, this October, the Socktober donation drive wants two million people to show that even a small act of love, such as donating a pair of socks, can make a big difference in the lives of our neighbors who are homeless.
There are two steps to begin your sock drive. First, find your local homeless shelter and learn what other items are needed in order to prepare for the upcoming winter. And second, rally the community. Encourage everyone to donate and support.
Girls of Green, whose purpose is to give back to the community, chose to team up with the Socktober donation drive this October to help support the ACCESS shelter. Based in Akron, Ohio, ACCESS shelter’s primary goal is to empower women and children experiencing homelessness. In January 2020, 587 individuals were found living in emergency shelters, transitional shelters, or unsheltered in Summit County. All of these living conditions meet the definition of homelessness. The ACCESS shelter has served more than 22,000 women and children in crisis since its inception.
This October the shelter is in need of socks, boys and girls underwear, toys, and many other necessities. Girls of Green began their school wide donation drive at the beginning of the month. They encourage not only members of the club to participate, but also students and staff. Donation bins are set up under the main stairway, in the library, and outside Ms. Bowman’s room (room 161).
“When we found Socktober, we were so excited to be a part of it! It is an easy way to give back to the community, and it has been a lot of fun so far,” Vice President of Girls of Green, Tess Peel ‘24, said.
The biggest thing that can make a difference is the continuous support from those in a community. Girls of Green initiated a sock drive to encourage everyone to support all members of the community to show everyone has a place in Green.
“As a female organized club, it is extremely special not only to be able to give back to our community, but especially the women in our community,” Peel said.
Girls of Green also participates in donations to the Battered Women’s Shelter and Akron Pregnancy Solutions. Helping those in the community is what makes a community stronger. Donating a pair of socks can create a warmer winter for someone. Girls of Green takes notice of the needs present in the community. Socks are only the beginning of a better community environment for everyone. Girls of Green hopes to raise 200 pairs of socks so they can ultimately provide a warmer winter for 200 individuals.
Socktober is a small way to give back and generate support. Socks are just the beginning of a larger movement to eradicate homelessness and ensure that everyone has a home. Girls of Green starts the beginning of a development of sock donations until none of our neighbors are homeless.