Nonprofit shows some awareness for homeless

Volunteers construct what they believe to be world's longest sentence of socks

Hope the Mission, a nonprofit in the San Fernando Valley which aims to combat poverty and homelessness, on Monday had volunteers construct what they believe to be the world's longest sentence ever made out of socks as part of a public awareness campaign about the strong demand for new, clean socks among unhoused individuals.

The event was held at BMO Stadium, home of the Major League Soccer's Los Angeles Football Club and the National Women's Soccer League's Angel City.

Seventh grader Sidney Vansleve, the daughter of Hope the Mission's president and chief financial officer, Rowan Vansleve, led volunteers in constructing the sentence: “From cold sad feet to warm happy feet.”

The volunteers also spelled out “#HopeWins @Hope of the Valley.”

Those involved in the campaign believe it's the longest sentence, based on characters, ever constructed out of socks.

Sidney Vansleve decided to spearhead the campaign to collect 250,000 pairs of socks — enough to provide clean socks to each Hope the Mission client for a year — after learning about the demand among the unhoused population.

As of Monday, the seventh grader and Hope the Mission had collected about 200,000 pairs of socks and will continue the socks drive through the end of this month, according to Sydney Kovach, a consultant for the nonprofit.

For information about making a donation, visit hopeofthevalley.org/sockproject.

As for whether Hope the Mission was successful in its record-setting attempt? The nonprofit plans to submit documentation to Guinness World Records for official confirmation, Kovach said.

PHOTOS BY HANS GUTKNECHT — STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER Sidney Vansleve, 12, with the approximately 200,000pairs of socks she helped collect for the homeless.

Sidney Vansleve, 12, sits among the 200,000 pairs of sock she collected. With help of volunteers, she constructed the world's longest sentence written with socks at BMO Stadium in Los Angeles, Monday. The socks collected by Vansleve will be dispersed to centers operated by Hope the Mission for the homeless.