1) The average person living on the street walks a lot

The average homeless person logs a lot of miles on foot. That can add up to many pairs of worn-through socks and shoes. Living on the streets can be hazardous to the feet. Most homeless people face foot care problems because they often lack resources to buy well-fitting, adequate footwear. In most cases, these folks resort to wearing footwear in the wrong size, or footwear that lack adequate support, and often go for long periods of time without taking off their shoes or changing their socks. In some cases, they don’t have access to footwear at all. Blisters and frostbite are two of the most common resulting conditions.

2) Keeping feet dry and warm on the street is a huge challenge

Keeping your feet warm and dry is difficult when you spend your days outside, especially in extreme heat, cold or rain. Most shelters close during daytime hours, leaving homeless people very few places to get away from the elements.

3) Socks are critical to our health.

Clean, dry socks are the best way to prevent skin infections, nail diseases, frostbite and trench foot. These problems are a painful ordeal for anyone, but they are especially crippling when you don’t have a home where you can rest and recuperate. A painful foot infection makes it very difficult to get to all of those important, life-changing appointments like job interviews and housing intake meetings.

Healthy feet are the ticket to mobility. Healthy feet are a part of human dignity.

Yet socks are a precious commodity at human service organizations. When our clothes start to wear out or go out of style, most of us donate them to a good cause. But what do people do with their old socks? We usually throw them out (and for good reason!). This means a homeless person asking for clothes at a shelter will likely get everything they need—except socks.