The homeless clients of Downtown Daily Bread have a long list of things they need to survive the winter, and at the top of every list is warm, dry socks. With the wealth of socks received from the Hershey Rotary Clubs challenge with Hershey High School, Daily Bread has been able to hand out a pair to each person that takes a weekly shower, to hand them out to those who shelter with them in their new emergency, overnight men’s shelter (they sleep 38 people each night in addition to the 100 who visit each day), and to anyone who asks or whose feet make a noise as they walk through because they almost all wear holes in their boots or tennis shoes. The homeless are very grateful for the socks!
Downtown Daily Bread has also been sharing the socks. Community nurses from Hershey Medical Center have been given a large number of the socks, especially the women’s and children’s sock that were in the mix. They go to so many low-income and homeless shelters for women providing flu shots and health information, and hand them out to families in great need there. This accomplishes health awareness along with the comfort of socks and pushes the socks out to many groups of needy families.
Also, Lebanon Valley College works with a family shelter and with refugees from the hurricane in Puerto Rico, people who have nothing. The socks are being shared with them and other organizations as well.
The example set by High School and younger students is inspiring many other groups. Susquehanna Township heard about the efforts and decided to “top off” the Hershey sock drive with a hat and glove drive. Harrisburg U and Lebanon Valley College have also been inspired to fund raise for Downtown Daily Bread. Daily Bread is now developing an entire student program around the success of Hershey Rotary Club and Hershey High School.
Downtown Daily Bread just hopes the men’s socks last until the next fundraiser, but they say it is a relief not to have to hoard them. For once, there are enough, and no one has lost their toes this winter.