Community Service Learning: Socks for Seniors

Of all the possible ways to give back to your community during the holiday season (and the entire year, too), collecting socks might seem like the smallest of ways to make a difference. In reality, it’s not such a small gesture! The socks that you collect or donate don’t have to be boring six-packs of plain white gym socks…. they can be whimsical or even hand knitted!

Spread the spirit of giving and build community this holiday season by organizing a collection drive to support Socks for Seniors!

The organization has been collecting socks all over the country for more than ten years, thanks largely to the support that they have received from families, businesses, schools, and other community groups. The socks collected in each drive are then given to elderly community members in order to keep their toes nice and warm throughout the winter and share some of the holiday spirit that inspired the project in the first place…

Of all the possible ways to give back to your community during the holiday season (and the entire year, too), collecting socks might seem like the smallest of ways to make a difference. In reality, it’s not such a small gesture! The socks that you collect or donate don’t have to be boring six-packs of plain white gym socks. They can be fuzzy rainbow socks, animal print socks, celebratory holiday socks, singing socks, tie-dyed fleecy socks, or beautiful hand-knitted socks if you’ve got the skills! Not only will the recipients appreciate having some new socks (who doesn’t love a good pair?), but they’ll appreciate the creativity and sense of humor that went into selecting them, and they’ll appreciate your generosity (as well as being in on the joke if your socks are of the particularly silly sort!).

To organize a drive in your community, organize a collection location and register it with Socks for Seniors. The organization will match you with an elderly care facility at which to hold a “sock hop” – an event to distribute the great socks you’ve collected. The easy-to-organize format of the drive makes it a particularly great project for youngsters to organize and, on top of the ease with which it can be done, younger children can easily understand and appreciate both the need for socks and the significance of such a gesture. If you’d like to expand your project, collect socks of all kinds (including everyday socks on top of the silly ones) and donate some to community organizations that serve elderly folks in need, such as homeless shelters and survival centers. But remember – freshly knitted or newly purchased socks only!

For more information about Socks for Seniors, visit www.socksforseniors.com.

RELATED POSTS:

• Community Service Learning: Food Drives
• Hilltown Families Virtual Holiday Food Drive
• The Stone Soup Cafe: Community Engagement One Meal at a Time
• A Serving of Art: A Hilltown Families’ Family Community Service Night on Dec 13, 2013

[Photo credit: (cc) Theen Moy]