The #1 requested item at homeless shelters just might surprise you! I know it did me!
Perhaps the easiest way to minister to the needy in our local communities is to donate to local homeless shelters.
But what do homeless shelters really need?
It’s not what I thought!
For years, our family has simply donated clothing to homeless shelters or perhaps the occasional coat during the winter months or toiletry items.
But I recently discovered that the number 1 item homeless shelters need are SOCKS!
According to Recycle Nation,
“Socks are the most requested item in shelters across the country. Many homeless people walk miles per day in order to survive, leaving their socks threadbare and damp. Make sure to donate clean, newly purchased socks for both adults and children. A few dollars out of your pocket could mean the world to someone with cold feet.” (source)
Our family recently discovered a sock brand that we LOVE that operates under the mission to give to those in need!
In the same vein as shoe brands like Tom’s, Bombas donates a pair of socks to someone in need for every single pair purchased.
Bombas has now donated nearly 1 millions socks since they launched their brand in October 2013!
Check out the incredibly inspiring video below on how Bombas got started with and continues to grow their sock-donating initiative (click here to view the video if you can’t see the player below):
What makes these socks so special?
I love that they give to those in need. That alone makes them a great brand in my book, but the socks are actually high quality (and cute!) as well.
They stay up!
It’s aggravating to deal with socks that roll or slide down all day, but our family did not find this to be the case with our Bombas socks. They stay up but aren’t too tight either!
They also are made with a Y-Stitched Heel, which is a Y-shaped stitch that creates a natural cup around your heel, so your sock stays in place.
Bombas are also made with Invisitoe.
What’s that?
You know that annoying bump that runs across the toes on most socks? Bombas socks don’t have that!
This makes my girls enjoy wearing them more. The “please wear your socks!” fight isn’t there when my girls wear Bombas because they actually feel comfortable in them!
Bombas socks come in the classic black and white and also a ton of various bright colors. We ordered bright colors for our girls, and they love mixing and matching these!
But do they give the same quality socks that they sell?
This was a question I had, and I was impressed with what Bombas had to say:
“People ask us all the time if we donate the same socks that we sell. The answer is no… we donate something better. Working closely with our charity partners, we engineered a sock to specifically meet the needs of people who don’t have the luxury of a clean pair of socks every day.”
The image below shows the technology and care Bombas has put into the design of the socks they give away to others:
I was really satisfied with this answer from Bombas. They don’t give just any old cheap sock to those in need; they have created an incredibly thoughtful and durable product with the recipient’s unique needs in mind!
Want to give Bombas a try?
Our entire family has fallen in love with Bombas socks–including my husband and three little girls!
Trying Bombas is risk-free because they come with a 100% guarantee.
In fact, they say that if you get them and don’t think they are the most comfortable socks you’ve ever worn, they will refund your entire purchase!
Get 20% off your first order with code HUMBLEDHOMEMAKER.
Check out the Bombas site here to get this great coupon!
Did you know that socks were the #1 requested item at homeless shelters? Do you give to homeless shelters?
Thank you, Bombas, for all the work you do to give to those in need and for underwriting this post!
laura m.
Bombas socks are way too pricey for average blue collar folks. Outa my league, too bad. Was ready to order some from their site, and saw their prices, almost fainted. Guess I’ll have to stick with gold toe athletic socks @ Kohls.
Erin
I’m sorry they were outside of your budget. 🙁 Did you see the coupon? They give a pair for every pair sold, so I am sure the price reflects both the quality and the fact that they give so many pairs away.
Donielle
I love that they have no toe seam! My kids hate to wear most socks for this reason. I’ll definitely look into them.
Erin
Yes, it’s so nice!