Cool Aid Society, a local non-profit organization, and Kia Victoria are launching the annual sock drive for unhoused individuals in Greater Victoria.
Their aim is to distribute 10,000 pairs of socks this year.
As the wet autumn weather begins in Victoria, what is merely an inconvenience for many can be devastating to those without a home.
Cool Aid says that people whose feet are chronically cold and wet can face serious health problems, and that something as simple as a clean, dry pair of socks can make the difference between health and serious illness.
By providing 10,000 pairs of socks as the weather cools, people experiencing homelessness in the community can be given a small but powerful way to stay healthier this winter.
This sock drive campaign has been ongoing for 20 years and has distributed more than 180,000 pairs of socks to people in need. This represents a value of more than $672,000.
Cool Aid says that this campaign was launched to help unhoused people who have nowhere to perform basic foot hygiene, like washing their feet or trimming their toenails. The organization also highlighted that many of these individuals have mobility issues, which makes hygiene routines much harder, if not impossible.
“Most people don’t think about the fact that many folks go days or weeks without access to basic hygiene needs like washrooms or laundry facilities,” said Rebecca Young, community health outreach nurse with Cool Aid.
“And after completing extensive wound care, for instance, asking someone to put wet, dirty socks back on is just not acceptable.”
Kia Victoria will once again match all donations up to $5,000 this year, and Perri’s Socks is offering the socks at a considerable discount.
The car dealership says that this campaign represents a community partnership that is deeply important to them, as well as those it benefits.
“I love that this campaign reminds us how much the little things matter,” said Bethan Ostermann of Kia Victoria.
“Everyone deserves the comfort and dignity of clean, dry socks, especially during our cold, wet Island winters. It’s such a simple way to look after people in our community, and when we all contribute a little, we can accomplish something extraordinary.”
Donors can drop off socks at Kia Victoria, located at 2620 Government Street.
Monetary donations can also be made at the dealership, or online, and will be used to purchase socks for the campaign.
In years past, the campaign has wrapped up at the end of November.
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