While talking about homelessness and kindness with a teacher at her elementary school, then-fourth-grader Audrey commented, “We have so much and they have so little. What can we do?” She asked her teacher which items were most needed by the unsheltered here in our very own city of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, and went home to immediately start working on a flyer for her first collection drive.
In just a few weeks’ time, Audrey had collected hundreds of socks and personal care items for those experiencing homelessness. The outpouring of donations and support she received, along with the experience of personally meeting one of our unhoused neighbors in Pittsburgh, solidified her desire to help the community. After that first drive and learning that socks are the number one item requested by shelters, Socks with a Mission was born!
Since then, Socks with a Mission has collected over 80,000 pairs of socks, partnering with human services providers, church organizations, women’s shelters, foster care programs and community centers to distribute new socks to those in need not only in the city of Pittsburgh, but as far as Erie, PA, Wheeling, WV, and Youngstown, OH.
To do our part in preserving the health and dignity of those experiencing homelessness and financial hardships in the greater Pittsburgh area by providing them with new, clean, quality socks.
Together, we can make a difference.
Partners and donors, large and small, make our work possible. Thank you to each and every one of you.
Socks With A Mission has been a proud Bombas Giving Partner since 2022. Bombas’ “One Purchased = One Donated” model provides essential clothing (socks, underwear, t-shirts) to people experiencing homelessness, aiming to offer comfort, dignity, and resources through a large network of community partners, while also educating the public about homelessness and supporting disaster relief efforts. Thank you, Bombas!
And last, but certainly not least, donors like YOU who make our work possible. As Audrey says, “together, we can make a difference!”