Sock Stock brings in thousands of pairs of socks
It is the second year of the Sock Stock where 1077 The Island in Grand Island asked the community to bring them pairs of socks to give to shelters in the area because it's the item they said they need the most.
By News Channel NebraskaGRAND ISLAND - It is the second year of the Sock Stock where 1077 The Island in Grand Island asked the community to bring them pairs of socks to give to shelters in the area because it's the item they said they need the most. By Saturday morning they reached well over their goal of 4,000 pairs.
As the radio hosts interviewed different shelters like the Crisis Center, Friendship House, and Vets Hospital, there was a common theme.
“It came up three times that 'you know what we need the most is socks' and we looked at each other and thought that's weird and then I happened to run into Renae Swanson with Hope Harbor she said you know what we need most is socks and then it was like I was clobbered over the head with the sign,” Morning Show Host Franzman said.
That is how the sock stock got started last year. This time around with getting the word out they set a goal of 4,000 pairs of socks. They easily passed it by the final day with $1400 donated to get even more. Businesses in the city had donation boxes and some even matched each donation. The shelters on the receiving end say it couldn't come at a better time.
“We've had so many people coming in that have very little that have had things ruined from flooding or they're leaving a situation they don't even have enough clothes for the next day,” Swanson said. “Having socks, especially this time of year is needed. We have so many kids that are going to school that don't have any clothing.”
People from as far as Fullerton and Kearney have driven to GI to make sure nobody has to have cold toes. The shelters said socks are a commonly overlooked donation item and many people forget that such a basic necessity it critical in those difficult times
“It was startling, it was sad. I grew up in a family where some of those items were pretty scarce so when it comes down to these agencies you think about it many of them are shelters so it's having people come in that don't have anything but the clothes on their backs,” Midday Host Kansas Franzman said.
After two weeks of collecting donations they got over 6,600 pairs of socks. They will be passing out the socks on Monday to the shelters and care facilities in Grand Island.