In it's seventh year, a Langley seniors sock drive for the homeless set a new record, collecting 1,304 pairs.
Organizer Beverley Genge, known as the "sock lady," was delighted.
"We had 865 last year," Genge told the Langley Advance Times on Wednesday, Jan. 8, as she was preparing to load up this year's socks for delivery to the Gateway of Hope shelter in Langley City.
"I have in my garage here 1,037," Genge said, and after the contributions from St. George’s Anglican Church in Fort Langley arrived, the number rose even higher.
As well, volunteers collected coats, ski pants, underwear, toques, scarves and gloves.
Genge credited the increased involvement of young people for the rise in donations, including campaigns inspired by the Langley initiative.
"There's a high school in Surrey that one girl took it by the horns, I guess, and ran with it," Genge said.
"And she got over 4,000 pairs of socks. She probably had to have a lot of gumption to get out there and, you know, just start it from scratch. It's difficult to start, but she did a great job. So it's spreading, which is great."
It all started when Genge and other members of the outreach committee at St. George’s were trying to come up with an affordable way for seniors with limited funds to aid people in need.
They settled on socks as something very much needed by homeless people, that would be inexpensive.
"Everybody has to feel good about contributing, whether it be a person that has limited funds or someone that can afford to give a dozen socks," Genge said.
"This way, it's a small ask. You know, like, what's five bucks for a pair of socks? Most people can afford that. So just everybody is feeling good about themselves, I think, because they can contribute something."
A public thank-you was issued by organizers to volunteers and supporters including: Beta Sigma Phi, Charwell Green owners families and friends, Chelsea Green, Southwind, and St. George’s Anglican Church in Fort Langley outreach committee.
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