HELPING OUT THE HOMELESS
Teen’s sock crusade marks 10 years
For 10 years, Sarah Lewis has been a champion for the homeless — collecting socks to keep their feet cosy and warm. But next year, when the Windsor teen packs up and moves off to university, she’s hoping the legacy she created in Windsor stays strong.
Lewis, 17, created Socks Warm Your Heart after being inspired by her older brother Noah who sold candy canes to purchase sleeping bags for the homeless. She helped deliver the sleeping bags to Street Help Homeless Centre of Windsor and that’s when the wheels started turning for the young girl.
“The manager said they could really use socks,” she said.
“I was only seven years old but I got to see first-hand that people in our own community couldn’t afford a pair of socks and that was a little puzzling to me.”
Determined to make a difference, she brought the idea to her Grade 2 classroom at Central Public School and within no time had collected 39 pairs socks. This year, the campaign raised $6,638 and 389 pairs of socks were collected.
Over the 10 years, she has raised $85,000 and collected 24,000 pairs of socks.
“There are people who can’t afford something so simple,” she said. “Everyone has a sock drawer, we all have socks on our feet, but to a homeless person socks are gold.
In September, the Grade 12 Massey student is hoping to go to Guelph University to pursue her dreams of becoming an equine veterinarian. She is leaving behind a campaign that has grown from a simple classroom project to one that has boxes at businesses throughout the city for collecting socks and donations.
Many different schools have joined the fold hosting their own fundraising events and challenges.
“The thought has always been to leave it as a legacy when I am not at the school,” she said.
“I will see what the need is where I go and contribute accordingly. I hope it continues and others will take on the initiative. I hope to always give wherever I am”
Lewis became passionate about the campaign after seeing the happiness new socks could generate.
One day, a lady came into Street Help with bare feet in her sneakers.
She put on the socks and immediately started jumping up and down proclaiming she was in heaven, Lewis said.
Often when she hands out socks she will offer four or five pairs, but she’s amazed only one or two pairs are taken.
This year she will also hold the Ten Socks of Christmas — heading downtown on 10 different days handing out stockings filled with apples, oranges, gums and gift cards for Tim Hortons and McDonalds. “Giving is living,” she said. “It makes you feel like you are on top of the world.
“It’s something so simple yet you are making someone’s day so much better.
“It’s the simple things.”