GUELPH – This month is Socktober at the Church of the Apostles, where volunteers are hoping to collect 5,000 pairs of socks for homeless people.
The church’s Helper Bees program recently kicked off its fourth annual sock drive, requesting donations of new and gently used socks of all sizes and types, including kids’ socks and dress socks.
The socks will be distributed through Rachel’s Saturday Table, an initiative that provides free meals, hygiene products and clothing at the corner of Wyndham and Woolwich.
“Warm clothing is always needed for our guests, but easily the most needed articles of clothing are socks,” program coordinator Rachel Wilson stated in a news release.
“As winter approaches, the need for socks becomes even more urgent for those experiencing homelessness. As the temperatures plummet, frostbite becomes a real threat.
“A simple pair of socks can offer critical protection, preventing the cold from turning into a life-threatening condition.”
Foot conditions are a highly prevalent issue among the unhoused, and a clean pair of socks can have a significant impact on a person’s well-being, the release said.
Socks can be donated at:
– Guelph Tool Library, 55 Wyndham St. N., Unit 115;
– Mike Schreiner’s constituency office, 173 Woolwich St.
– Guelph Collegiate Vocational Institute, 155 Paisley St.;
– River of Life International Fellowship Church, 40 Margaret St.;
– All Saints Lutheran Anglican Church, 210 Silvercreek Pkwy. N.;
– Church of the Apostles, 86 Glasgow St. N.; and
– OPIRG Guelph, 24 Trent Ln., University of Guelph.
The Helper Bees also invite other groups to participate. For more information, contact helperbees@apostlesguelph.org.
