More than 200 Boston-area college students joined together Saturday to help facilitate the donation of thousands of pairs of socks to homeless shelters around Boston.
Charlotte Kim, a student at Harvard University, came up with the idea for the initiative, titled Triple S Day, which according to its website, stands for “students, service, and socks,” after an internship with a company called Bombas.
Bombas is a sock company that donates one pair of socks to someone in need for every pair of socks purchased. Kim said she adapted the concept for the initiative and sought to make it a reality by recruiting the help of peers from all over Boston.
“I have been spearheading [the event],” Kim said, “but I really have had the help of a lot of students, and this wouldn’t be possible without them.”
Kim said she chose to donate socks because they are the the most requested clothing item at homeless shelters, since they can’t be donated used.
Kim said before Triple S Day that she expected 220 students from nine different Boston-area colleges, including Boston University, Harvard, and Northeastern University, to volunteer.
“It was pretty encouraging actually, because there was a lot more demand [to participate] than that,” Kim said, “but we just had to cap it because of the shelter accommodations.”
Bombas Vice President of Community and Giving Kelly Cobb wrote in an email that Triple S Day shows the power a small group of volunteers can have.
“In uniting students from some of Boston’s top schools, Triple S Day is proof that a small group of people can come together for the greater good to make an impact, and will hopefully empower others to act charitably within their own communities,” Cobb wrote.
Kim said most of the socks, donated by Bombas, were shipped directly to shelters ahead of time, but that student volunteers would hand out some pairs themselves so they could “see the impact of donations.”
Viviana Romero, a student in BU’s English Orientation Program, said the initiative could be beneficial in helping individuals experiencing homelessness endure the harsh Boston winters.
“It is very cold [in Boston], so I think if you are not going to use some of your socks, it is a good idea,” Romero said.
Cobb wrote that the initiative aligns well with the mission of Bombas.
“From the beginning, it has been our goal to get socks on the feet of those who need them the most,” Cobb wrote. “Triple S Day not only helps us do that, but also engages the local Boston student population to spread awareness around the issue of homelessness.”
Kim said her experience interning at Bombas inspired her to encourage her peers to volunteer, but she recognized that many students can’t commit much of their time to it.
“I personally feel that a one-time exposure to community service can be enough to open someone’s eyes to the homeless[ness] problem and to want to help address it,” Kim said.
CAS freshman Nathalie Ye said she thinks that the initiative is a good idea, and it even inspired her to think about getting involved.
“I do see quite a lot of homeless people in certain areas, but I’m not sure how this problem can really be solved,” Ye said. “If anyone [can] donate, they should donate because you don’t want people to die on the street.”
Cobb said many volunteers and helping hands are needed to help individuals experiencing homelessness in major cities.
“It continues to be imperative to express the need for humans helping humans,” Cobb wrote. “Homelessness remains an important cause to support within every community, and we are extremely honored that these students are joining us in our ongoing mission to help those in need.”
Jacob Henebry, a senior in the College of Arts and Sciences, said he thinks more needs to be done to combat the issue of homelessness, but that Triple S Day is a good start.
“It probably needs to be fixed at a more systematic level,” Henebry said, “but doing what people can, in the meantime, is a good thing.”
Jen Racoosin contributed to the reporting in this article.
