Warm socks, mittens and hats are greatly needed each winter yet they are least often donated to homeless shelters. To fill the gap, Harford County government, in partnership with Harford County Public Library, is sponsoring “SOCKtober,” a countywide collection drive during the month of October for new socks, hats, mittens, and gloves of all sizes. Donated items will be distributed to local individuals and families experiencing homelessness, or on the brink of homelessness, and to local veteran’s organizations. Collection boxes will be located in county government buildings including parks and recreation facilities, public libraries, and participating businesses from October 1 – 31, 2018.
First developed in 2016, SOCKtober helps to raise awareness about homelessness in Harford County, and provides items that are in high demand before the cold winter months. Even regular donors of clothing such as coats and pants will usually wear out their own socks, hats, and gloves before throwing them away. This means that homeless individuals are constantly at risk of serious foot disease and, during winter months, in severe danger from the cold. In fiscal year 2018, Harford County government and its nonprofit partners provided services to 3162 people at-risk of, or experiencing, homelessness.
“Harford County has a heart for those in need, which has allowed us to donate more than 10,000 items since the beginning of our annual SOCKtober collection drive,” said County Executive Barry Glassman. “Thanks to the generous spirit of our citizens, we hope to continue bringing warmth to the bodies and souls of our less fortunate neighbors.”
Harford County companies, organizations, and schools that would like to participate in SOCKtober may learn more at www.harfordcountymd.gov/services. Help spread the word by sharing the SOCKtober flier, which can be found on the Facebook pages for Harford County Government and Harford County Community Services.
