"Socktober" sock drive hopes to provide new socks across Central Illinois

URBANA, Ill. (WAND) — One church in Urbana is helping the homeless get back on their feet.

The Vineyard Church kicked off their fourth annual "Socktober." The month-long event is collecting new socks around Central Illinois, with the goal to donate them to shelters and C-U Schools Foundations before the weather gets cold.

"So many people don't realize that socks are just a very simple thing that homeless people really appreciate" says the Community Outreach Director Marti Pearson. ""If your feet hurt, the rest of your body hurts. So just having an opportunity to get clean, fresh socks, it makes a big difference in their lives."

Pearson shares that socks are one of the most needed, but least donated, items to shelters nationwide. The Vineyard Church hopes to collect over 15,000 pairs of new socks by the end of the month.

For a list of locations you can drop off socks at, click here.