Since the mission of The Joy of Sox is to give joy to the homeless by giving them new socks I thought I’d share some of the metrics involved in doing this.

162,393 – Pairs of new socks given to the homeless

40,001 – Pairs of new socks donated this year

1,832  – People who like us on Facebook (we’re shooting for 2,500 by June 2016)

255 – Cardboard boxes 16″ x 16″ x 16″ used so far this year to pack new socks

103  – Internet attacks on our website (all blocked by our blocking software)

100’s – Number of people from around the country that have been inspired to help the  homeless with new socks

59  – Shelters in the Philadelphia area that we helped

57  – Shelters in other states that we have helped

26  – The number of other states, plus Wash D.C., where we have sent socks

25 – Different countries where Internet attacks came from

24  – People have made monetary donations from 24 different states

7 1/2  – Tons of socks we have given to the homeless (that’s a lot of socks!)

3  – Countries outside the USA where we have sent socks (Mexico, Afghanistan, Uganda)

3 – States that have passed resolutions about Valentine’s Day as Socks for the Homeless Day (PA, NY, ND – 47 to go!)

2 – Colleges and Universities that help with volunteers/interns (Villanova University, Cabrini College)

1  – Foreign country that we received a monetary donation from (Norway)

But the most important number isn’t a number at all – it’s YOU!  Everyone who helps and supports us!

Thanks so much for all that you do to help us with our vision of being able to give new socks to every homeless person in America!

Want to really help the homeless this holiday season? Donate new socks!  They’re among the most needed items at shelters.

This is a very nice article by Michelle Woo of Reddit’s Upvoted.  Thanks so much Michelle!

“Being without socks, especially during the cold and wet season, can lead to all sorts of foot ailments: blisters, fungus, frostbite, and in extreme cases, blood poisoning, and deep bone infections. But many homeless people don’t have clean, dry pairs of socks available.

In Reddit’s Today I Learned community, Reddit user ironypatrol pointed to the finding that socks are among the most needed—but least donated—items at homeless shelters.

According to Tom Costello Jr., founder and “Chief Sock Person” of Philadelphia-based nonprofit The Joy of Sox, new socks can even be more important than food since many homeless people have access to soup kitchens and pantries.

“If I ask people what they do with their old clothes, they’ll probably say they donate them,” Costello Jr. tells Upvoted. “But what about socks? Since their socks usually have holes in them, they’ll get trashed. So a homeless person going to a clothes distribution center might get shirts, sweaters and other clothing items, but not socks.” Since 2011, the organization has distributed nearly 157,000 pairs of new socks to the local homeless population.”

To read a pdf of the article click on the photograph.  To read the article on upvoted.com click here

We just published a map of the places The Joy of Sox has sent new socks for the homeless.  This is a new tool for us and we realize that it may not be completely accurate.

So if you seen any errors or omissions  please contact us.

And of course, if you have any comments we’d appreciate them too!

Thanks so much for your help.

This is really awesome!!  And a very special thanks to all our board members, donors, volunteers and clients who helped make this possible.

The Joy of Sox® Honored as 2015 TOP-RATED Nonprofit By GreatNonprofits.org

The Award is Based on Positive Online Reviews

The Joy of Sox has been honored with a prestigious 2105 Top-Rated Award by Great Nonprofits, the leading provider of user reviews about nonprofit organizations.

“We are super excited to be named a Top-Rated 2015 Nonprofit,” says Tom Costello, Jr., Chief Sock Person for The Joy Of Sox.  We are proud of our accomplishments this year, including surpassing 160,000 pairs of new socks donated to the homeless in the Philly region and across the country.  The Top-Rated Nonprofit award was based on the large number of 5-Star  reviews the we received – reviews written by board members, donors, volunteers and clients.  People posted their personal experience with us.

For example, one person wrote,  “Working with The Joy of Sox has been a true blessing.  It’s amazing to be a part of an organization with as much heart as this one.  The Joy of Sox addresses the extremely necessary, and yet often overlooked need to provide socks to the homeless.  The work this organization does, and the passion and and love the organization does with it, makes The Joy of Sox truly extraordinary.”

While the Top-Rated Awards run through the end of October, The Joy of Sox was part of the inaugural group to qualify this year.  In addition, they will be added to GreatNonprofits #GivingTuesday Guide – an interactive guide to top nonprofits throughout the year.  Look for this near the holidays.

“Savvy donors want to see the impact of their donations more than ever,” said Peria Ni, CEO of GreatNonprofits, “People with direct experience with The Joy of Sox have voted that the organization is making a real difference.”

Being on the Top-Rated list gives donors and volunteers more confidence that this is a creditable organization.  The reviews by volunteers, clients and other donors show the on-the-ground results  of this nonprofit.  This award is a form or recognition by the community.

Oklahoma and Florida. The Joy of Sox just shipped new socks for the homeless to Oklahoma and Florida. This distribution was a result of the exposure they received on Fox & Friends recently.

To date, The Joy of Sox has supplied new socks to 3 countries and 26 states (plus two additional real soon), plus Washington D.C.   They are making a positive impact on many homeless lives by providing them with the joy of new socks.

Tom Costello, Jr, founder and Chief Sock Person, extends a special thanks to all their volunteers for helping make this possible!!

If you want to help spread the joy of new sox where you are please click contact, or give them a call at 610-688-3318 (US East Coast Time).

JeffHOPE and The Joy of Sox – a partnership helping the homeless

Since two vital things the homeless need are medical care and new socks the partnership of JeffHOPE and The Joy of Sox really makes a positive impact the population they both serve.

JeffHOPE is a volunteer program of medical students at the  Sydney Kimmel Medical College at Thomas Jefferson University.

The Joy of Sox® is a 501(C)(3) nonprofit with the simple mission of providing joy to the homeless with new socks.

According to the JeffHOPE mission statement the volunteer medical students are passionately committed to treat the under served men, women, and children of Philadelphia, embracing the values of kindness, equality, and excellence. They accomplish this mission by providing free, quality care to all, through student-run clinics; educating our patients on their health and how to maintain it; advocating for improved patient care; and teaching each other to become stronger clinicians. They aim to empower these individuals to regain their footing and climb out of poverty.

They support six shelters in Philadelphia on a weekly basis:

• ACTS
• Eliza Shirley
• Mercy Hospice
• Our Brother’s Place
• Prevention Point
• Sunday Breakfast Rescue Mission

According to Tom Costello, Jr., Chief Sock Person, at The Joy Of Sox, “This partnership is a perfect example of two organizations working together to help the homeless with two things they need – medical care and new socks.”

Over the past four years The Joy of Sox has donated over 13,000 pairs of new socks to the shelters that JeffHOPE serves.  Plans call for expanding this concept to hopefully include other medical schools and their community outreach programs both in Philadelphia and other cities across the United States.

To learn more about The Joy Of Sox you can email or call them at 610-688-3318.

To make a donation to support the mission of The Joy of Sox click here.

To make a donation to support the mission of JeffHOPE click here.

WOW! Elisabeth Hasselbeck and Fox & Friends did a super job with the Erin Bertel and The Joy of Sox^® story (Friday July 10 8:20 am).

The emotional video clip shows the story of Erin and what happened when she discovered that the homeless need a vital item that they hardly ever get – new socks.

It’s runs 3:20 and Fox included a short commercial up front, but take a look at it if you can and please let us know your thoughts.

After the show we got an overwhelming number of responses.  We received calls, emails, donations and newsletter sign ups from all over, including: Nevada, Pennsylvania, Maryland, Illinois, Indiana, Alabama, Minnesota, Oklahoma, New Hampshire, South Carolina, Washington, New Jersey, New York, Utah, Arkansas, Ohio, New Mexico and even Canada. The majority of our contacts were from Texas and Florida.

People were moved by the show.  Some sample comments…

• “I saw your story and was touched.”
• “Keep up your blessed work.”
• “How do I become a sock angel?” (lots of this one)
• “Can you send our shelter/church some socks?”
• “My daughter decided to collect socks for her National Honor Society Project.”
• “How start something similar in my town.”
• “I was very touched by your story and mission.”
• “I think your program is awesome.”
• “Sounds like a perfect program to benefit our homeless vets living in the woods.”
• “This is amazing.”

The bottom line is that Fox helped us both raise awareness of the sock situation with the homeless and increased the number of people who want to help, donate to, and get involved with our mission of providing joy to the homeless by giving them new socks

In the nonprofit world measurable impact is important. And we definitely had a measurable impact from the show.

I’m not sure where The Joy Of Sox will be a year from now, but we’ll be a lot closer to our goal of making The Joy of Sox and our mission of providing joy to the homeless with new socks a household word!

And we’d be remiss if didn’t say a very special thanks to Brad Newman (and his crew) for producing the show.   And to Fox for allowing Fox & Friends to highlight us.   And of course, to the Fox audience who responded in a very positive way.

So on behalf of Erin and the many unnamed homeless that will be helped as a result of Fox & Friends – THANK YOU SO MUCH ! !

Your thoughts?

We are very grateful to Jennifer J. Spector, DPM, FACFAS  (Cafengiu Podiatry and Sports Medicine, Marlton, NJ) for providing us with this feet and socks fact list.   It was originally written for The Joy Of Sox® to highlight the need for new socks for the homeless, but Jen’s advice really applies to everyone’s feet!   Thanks so much Jen!

1.  According to the Mayo Clinic, in cold enough conditions, frostbite can occur in 30 minutes or less! Warm, well-fitting socks can prevent this for many people.

2.  Moisture-wicking socks are especially important for those facing the summer heat and humidity. By pulling sweat away from the skin, conditions such as infections and blisters can be prevented.

3.  Many bacteria and fungi thrive in warm, moist environments. Access to clean, dry socks can go a long way in avoiding foot infections.

4.  Those with Diabetes especially need well fitting socks, preferably Diabetic socks without seams that can rub and cause blisters.

5.  Did you know that Diabetic socks usually have invisible seams, and cause less friction on the skin? This can prevent skin injury, infection and even amputations.

6.  One million Americans had Type 2 Diabetes in 2012. (American Diabetes Assoc.) Part of proper Diabetic foot care is access to appropriate sock wear. You can make a difference!

7.  Poor circulation puts feet at risk every day. Proper socks can provide a simple, but important layer of protection between these feet and limb threatening conditions.

8.  Clean, well-fitting socks are a vital part of keeping feet healthy! The impact is immediate and ongoing!

9.  Wearing the right socks for the right activity can go a long way towards foot health. Those struggling with homelessness don’t have that option. But we can help!

10.  Clean and well-fitting socks can be just as important as medication or insulin for those that deal with diabetes. Help save limbs by donating to The Joy of Sox!

We will be delving more into the relationship between foot health and the homeless population in subsequent posts.

So if you have a question about socks and feet and feet health just ask away!

150,483.  That’s the amazing number of pairs of new socks that The Joy of Sox® has donated to the homeless and needy in the past four years.

So a very special thanks TO all our sock angels and benefactors out there!  This could not have been done without you!

And, a very special thanks FROM all the unnamed homeless who have been given joy through a pair of new socks.

The top two photos are piles of donated new socks waiting to be sorted (men, women and children) and packed into boxes for distribution to shelters for the homeless.

The 3rd photo shows our warehouse with cases of new socks ready to be distributed to shelters.  The boxes our volunteers pack usually contain either 120 pairs for men, 140 pairs for women, or 200 pairs for children.

The botton photo is a little card that some young volunteer made to go along with a new pair of socks, “Hope your toes are happy in these socks.”

I’d like you to meet our Chief Sock Angel – Erin Bertel.

Now I’m not a big fan of listing accomplishments like items on a résumé, but in Erin’s case it might be the only way to do her justice.  So, since last summer she has …

•  Acted as coordinator and spokesperson for The Joy of Sox in North Dakota (and she may not know it yet, but we may be expanding that region),

•  Organized socks drives and collections resulting in 5,000+ pair of new socks being delivered to the homeless,

 •  Initiated a Twitter campaign that resulted in increased awareness of the plight of the homeless and a potential connection with another charity in the UK,

•  Contributed to our Facebook page in a manner that generates more likes and expands our reach (this falls under increasing awareness),

•  Talked at various venues (radio, schools) about her story and The Joy of Sox,

•  Convinced North Dakota Governor Jack Dalrymple and the state legislature to pass a proclamation/resolution about “Socks for the Homeless Day,”

•  Worked on planning a national social media campaign to both raise awareness and funds,

•  Initiated our #SoxSelfie campaign – more on that in a later post.

 And she did all of this while being a nurse and a Mom.  Oh, she also recently won the Mrs. North Dakota International pageant.

The Joy of Sox is so blessed to have super people like Erin help provide joy to the homeless by giving them new socks.

Thanks Erin!❤️

North Dakota Governor, Jack Dalrymple, signed a Proclamation that February 14, 2105 (Valentine’s Day) is Socks For The Homeless Day in North Dakota.

The proclamation notes that North Dakota’s homeless population nearly doubled from 2012 to 2013 and that all donations of clothing to organizations assisting the homeless are desperately needed and appreciated.  But new socks are probably the number one item clothing item the homeless need but are rarely donated.

Erin Bertel, Chief Sock Angel for The Joy Of Sox®, and a resident of Fargo, ND gets all the credit for convincing the North Dakota legislature to do this.

The original idea behind Proclamations and Resolutions like this came from Tom Costello Jr, founder of The Joy Of Sox, a nonprofit that provides joy to the homeless by giving them new socks.  Tom noticed that people are usually generous (or guilty) between Thanksgiving and the end of the year.  Lots of clothing donations are made during that time, but once the new year starts donations just about stop.

So in order to keep the needy in mind during the cold month of February Tom wanted to tie another holiday (or sorts) – Valentine’s Day – into a day of doing something for the homeless.  The idea was that in addition to calling your Mom, and giving flowers or candy to a loved one to please also try to remember the homeless by making a donation of new socks to a shelter or an organization that provides new socks for the homeless.

In addition to North Dakota, both Pennsylvania and New York have passed Resolutions or Proclamations declaring Valentine’s Day (February 14th) as Sock For The Homeless Day.

Forty seven more States to go!

If anyone has connections with a state legislature and wants to help please contact us here.  Thanks so much!

5,804 pairs of new socks for the homeless were sorted and packed by students of Cabrini College, Radnor, PA for The Joy of Sox.  It  was a great event as about 20 students separated thousands of pairs of purchased and donated socks into piles for men, women and children.

They then assembled cardboard boxes and filled the boxes with the new socks.  The filled boxes where then loaded into a van for later distribution to homeless shelters in the Philadelphia region.

A special thanks to Stephanie Reed and Maureen Catania for supporting and coordinating the event.  And another special thanks to Nancy Costello for the nice write up in the weekly update for the Missionary Sisters (click picture at right to see the story).

This was such a super event that hopefully Cabrini College can do it again next year?  and the following year?

Since we frequently get questions about new socks for the homeless we decided to include our handout here.

Click on this link to view/print “FAQ About New Socks for the Homeless.”

Imagine – whenever you buy almost anything on Amazon they automatically make a donation to The Joy of Sox!

This is really cool – and a great way to support new socks for the homeless simply by shopping.

Who knew that when you spend money, you can feel good because Amazon gives a portion of their profits … to a nonprofit.

If you’d like to sign up for Amazon Smile to support The Joy of Sox please click here, or on the logo.

You can always change your mind later, or even use Amazon Smile to support another charity.

Thanks so much for considering this!

Did you know that new socks can be more important than food for the homeless?
 
Here’s a 2:25 audio clip of “Socks can be more important than food.”  Tom Costello Jr, founder and Chief Sock Person, for the nonprofit The Joy of Sox gives three quick examples, and the  impact, why new socks can be more important than food for the homeless.
 

 
What thoughts do you have about this?  Please send your comments to Tom.

A really special thanks to all of our supporters and fans who helped us earn this very cool award.  The award is special because only a small percentage of nonprofits get the Top-Rated rating.

According to the certificate:

“Your community has selected your organization as one of the 2014 Top-Rated Nonprofits using Great nonprofits.  You are among a distinguished few to receive this community endorsement.”

It is humbling to have such support.  And it also speaks to the grass-roots and community involvement that exists out there to help provide those much needed new socks for the homeless.

To see our Great Nonprofits web page please click here.

If you’d like to know how to get involved in your community and/or make a donation, please send us an email or give us a call at 610-688-3318 (we’re in suburban Philadelphia USA, east coast time).

We’d love to hear from you.

Thanks!!

Do college students care?

Well the students at Villanova University definitely do!!

7,488 pairs of new socks!  That a lot of socks – almost enough to give every homeless man, woman and child in the Philadelphia region one new pair of new socks!

How did that happen?

Well on Friday morning September 26th, 2014 members of the men’s soccer team gathered in the Connelley Center to sort through a massive pile of boxes and bags of new socks that have been donated to The Joy of Sox – a nonprofit that provides new socks for the homeless.

By the end of the morning the socks had been inventoried, sorted and packed into boxes for men, women and children.  The final count was a super impressive 7,488 pairs of new socks ready to be distributed to the shelters in the area.

That following day the boxes were delivered to various shelters in the area!!!!

So … do college students care?  That has to be an over resounding YES!!

Thanks Villanova for helping us make homeless toes healthy and happy toes!!

And a special thanks to Chrissy, Meghan, Grace, Chris and all the others involved!

New warm socks for cold feet!  One of our volunteers was headed to Alaska and heard about an event at the Downtown Soup Kitchen in Alaska.

They were having a Salmon event and also requesting donations of new clothes … and socks in particular.

So Gene brought a suitcase full of new socks to the event.  (Thanks so much Gene!!!).  People were thrilled primarily because people rarely donate their old socks.  Old socks are smelly and are probably threadbare so they get trashed.  Homeless get donations of sweaters, coats, etc, but hardly ever socks.

They were very appreciative.  And we are very happy to help.

FYI – here is some info from Department of Housing and Urban Development’s (HUD) “2008 Annual Homeless Assessment Report to Congress” released in July 2009 (although a few years old it does open ones eyes) .

Who are the homeless in Alaska?
Based on the January 2009 single-night count, Alaska’s homeless number 4,583 persons. (The total state population in July 2008 was estimated at 679,200.) This figure includes individuals who meet HUD’s definition of homeless, as well persons temporarily housed in a motel or with family/friends:

• 93% (4,256 persons) were “sheltered,” which includes living in emergency shelters, transitional shelters, with extended family and/or friends, or temporarily in motels.
• 7% (327 persons) were “unsheltered,” which includes living in a place not meant for human habitation such as cars, parks, sidewalks, abandoned buildings, or on the street.

• Among the sheltered, 57.5% were households with children.
• Among the unsheltered, 23.5% were households with children.

This 2009 count (including sheltered and unsheltered persons) showed the following figures for homeless subpopulations:

• Almost 9% are chronically homeless.
• Nearly 14% have chronic substance abuse issues.
• Over 7% are victims of domestic violence.
• About 6% are veterans.
• Approximately 11% are severely mentally ill.
• Nearly 3% are unaccompanied youth under the age of 18.
• Less than 1% have HIV/AIDS.

Want to know more?  Drop us an email at
info@TheJoyOfSox.org.

Our friends at Comcast were nice enough to invite us back on Newsmakers.  A very special thanks to Jen Boyette, Comcast’s Governemnt Affairs Manager, and Jill Horner, on-air host, for allowing me to tell our story about providing new socks for the homeless!!

Comcast graciously had Tom Costello Jr  on their Comcast Newsmaker program for the Philadlephia region (again).  But this time it was to talk about a sock donation from a very special person…President George Bush (41)!

The show, hosted by Laura Jones and arranged by Jen Boyett, runs about 4:30 and allowed Tom to talk about how you can help support The Joy of Sox…and especially  about sock donation can help raise funds to support our mission of providing new socks for the homeless.

The clip of the show appears below.  A blog post below talks more about the socks.

A special thanks to Laura and Jen for making this so special.

Other videos about The Joy of Sox can be found here: The Joy of Sox’s YouTube Channel.

This is amazing!

President George Bush (41), who is known for wearing unusual socks, donated a new pair of socks in support of our mission.

We hope to auction them off and raise lots of money.

The pair of socks were beautifully framed (see photo top) and includes the note card from the President (see photo bottom).  The frame measures about 23 ⅞ inches wide by about 25 ¼ inches high.

The framed socks really look…presidential!

Comcast Newsmakers was nice enough to do a show where Tom Costello Jr, Chief Sock Person, talks about the importance of socks for the homeless, President George Bush’s socks and how people can help.  The YouTube video can be seen here.

Thank you President Bush for helping us make lots of homeless toes healthy and happy toes!