SCRANTON, Pa. -- One area nonprofit agency has roughly 5,000 reasons to celebrate.
The Voluntary Action Center of Northeast Pennsylvania says it received its largest donation of socks--something that's in high demand at homeless shelters.
Almost as excited as kids on Christmas, board members at the Voluntary Action Center happily tore into boxes filled with socks. A sock company called Bombas donated 4,750 pairs of socks to the nonprofit agency.
“This is the first time I've seen them myself,” said board secretary Brian Dougherty. “We received 4,750 pairs which basically doubles what we collected this year.”
Bombas' mission is to donate a sock for every one the company sells. The company says the socks that are donated are specially made for people who don't have the option of wearing clean socks every day and don't need to be washed as much.
“They're thick socks, and these are going to go to all the little kids in the area. Aren't these so cute?” said board president Katie Sunday.
The company says socks are the number one clothing item requested at homeless shelters.
“If you think about someone in a homeless shelter, we're going to give him a coat, we're going to give them something to wear, but nobody ever thinks about their feet. No one ever thinks about socks. No one ever thinks people need socks,” said Sunday.
The Voluntary Action Center says this is the largest sock donation it has ever received.
One of the places that could benefit from the sock donation is the NEPA Youth Shelter which provides an after-school drop-in center for teenagers 14 through graduation. Kids can get food, tutoring, even showers and clothes.
Executive Director Maureen Maher-Gray says the socks are much needed here.
“Most of our kids walk, and they walk everywhere, southside, northside, the Viewmont Mall they'll walk up to if they need to, and having a good dry pair of socks and a good quality pair of socks is so important,” said Maher-Gray.
“I know it helps with the less fortunate, so I really appreciate it,” said Anthony Webber, one of the teenagers taking advantage of the shelter.
In a statement from Bombas, it said it was proud to provide socks for the Voluntary Action Center's partner organizations in and around Scranton.
The VAC says the company has already committed to donating again this time next year.