Two years ago, Andrew Sunderhaft joined Emmaus Ministry to serve dinner to people struggling with homelessness. The visit was part of his Confirmation classes. Andrew, now a high school freshman in Baldwinsville, said the visit left a lasting impression. He was especially struck by one question that several people asked.
“We kept getting asked if we had socks,” Andrew said. “I never thought about how important socks were before.”
Since then, Andrew has made it a personal mission to provide socks to people who reside at our Men’s Shelter and the Samaritan Center. He collects socks around the holidays, getting out the word through social media and a website he designed. This year, he collected about 1,250 pairs. Andrew delivered the donation just after Valentine’s. The donation was timed to help give our staff some extra supplies just as the last of holiday donations have typically been given away.
Andrew plans to continue his holiday collection efforts next year. Andrew and other volunteers are a vital part of our work. Volunteers provide hot meals, new clothes and other support that helps us serve our clients. Together, we can help shelter residents find their feet and get the services they need to address barriers to success.
Our Men’s Shelter offers many kinds of support – job training, mental health services and more – to address the wide range of needs that our clients have. Volunteers like Andrew do a lot to help us meet the basics first, like clean socks and good meals, and for that we are deeply grateful.
Learn more about Samaritan Socks.
For information on volunteering at Catholic Charities, see this page.