According to Dr. Karen Barber, Director of Federal Programs with the Santa Rosa Count School District, there are currently 1,378 homeless students in Santa Rosa County, 59 of those being unaccompanied youth and the numbers change every day. Aleta Floyd, of Santa Rosa County’s Computer and Graphic Information Systems department, said the 7th annual Sock it to Me drive seeks donations to help with some basic necessities of this population: new socks and underwear. New this year, she said the school board office handling the needs of these children have requested an additional item this year: pajamas. The drive is currently underway and wraps up Thursday, December 4.
Floyd said she was inspired to start Sock It To Me after seeing a student at her daughter’s school without socks. “It’s the feeling you get helping others. It’s what Christmas is all about, giving not getting,” she said. Originally, Floyd said they just collected socks and underwear and gave them to schools. “It’s more organized now. Jo Anne Raught with the school board office is our contact who matches the donations to the families.” she said. Floyd added, “Every year it hit our hearts when we are reminded that many of the students in our county don’t
even have a pair of socks to wear on cold days, nor underwear.”
Sock it to Me comes neatly on the heels of another new sock and toiletry drive, Socktober, held last month at Bagdad Elementary School. According to organizer and third grade teacher, Jennifer Mayhair, the drive ran from October 1 to 28. On October 29, she said members of Ferris Hill Baptist Church picked up the donations for the church’s cold weather shelter.
Mayhair said she was inspired by Internet phenomenon Kid President. She said, “We owe it to him for spreading the idea of taking care of all of our friends.” Mayhair said she discovered him last year, but was too late to get in on his Socktober campaign. However, she said her class did gather and donate gently used coats in November.
According to Mayhair, she and her class set a goal this year to collect 500 pairs of socks. By the end of the drive, she said they collected 1,001. “We couldn’t wrap our heads around it. It’s a wonderful lesson for children to see how they can help others,” she said.
Mayhair said many of her students are on the receiving end of charity. Those who couldn’t donate, she said, could earn socks through writing and other assignments, so they could take part as well.
Mayhair said she intends to run a Socktober drive every year. For those who missed out on Bagdad Elementary’s Socktober, Sock it to Me is still happening throughout the county for less than a week’s time.
Daniel Hahn, plans chief with Santa Rosa County Emergency Management, said there is a point of contact for drop-off in every county building.
The locations and people come from the SAFER newsletter:
This article originally appeared on Santa Rosa Press Gazette: County residents and youth donate socks to homeless