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Interim HealthCare of the Central Valley is collecting socks and other items for the homeless population of Fresno and Madera counties in their SOCKtober 2019 event. Continue reading
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Fresno, CA, Oct 18, 2019 /prREACH/ -- Fresno, California – Interim HealthCare of the Central Valley is conducting their annual SOCKtober drive from October 1st - 31st, with the goal of collecting thousands of pairs of socks, as well as scarves, gloves, and warm hats for the homeless population of Fresno and Madera counties.
The SOCKtober event was born in 2015 when Lucie, an Interim HealthCare Registered Nurse, was scrolling through her Facebook feed and came across a photo of a man holding a sign which said, “Socks are the most needed but least donated article of clothing in homeless shelters.” Realizing how such a simple item could make such a big difference in someone's life, Lucie immediately put her kindness into action, forwarding the post to Interim HealthCare of the Central Valley Administrator, Sarah Ahmed. Always eager to find new ways to contribute to the community, Sarah was immediately on-board with Lucie’s idea of sponsoring a Sock Drive… and SOCKtober was born! Within just a few days the socks began pouring in from the office team, field staff, community partners, and referral sources.
That first year, the estimated number of unsheltered homeless people in Fresno County was 1,183, so that number became the goal; to collect at least one pair of new socks for each homeless person in Fresno. At the end of SOCKtober 2015, Interim HealthCare had surpassed their goal, collecting 1,234 pairs of brand-new socks for the homeless in the community. In 2016, SOCKtober was expanded to collect not just socks, but warm hats, gloves, and scarves. The response from the community was tremendous with more than 1,500 items being collected, including dozens of handmade hats and scarves donated by local fiber-crafters. By 2017, the need was greater than ever, as surveys indicated a 19% increase in the homeless population in the Fresno area. That year, there was a record 1,740 items collected. The following year surpassed the record yet again, with 2,276 total items, including 1,977 pairs of socks, collected in 2018! This year, SOCKtober will be bigger than ever, with a record 36 drop-off locations for donations.
Drop-off locations include: Atria of Fresno, Bella Vista Memory Care, The Village by Bethel Lutheran Home, Carmel Village of Clovis, Cedar Creek Senior Living -Madera, Cedarbrook Memory Care, Dycora Manchester, Dycora Sanger, Dr. Patrick Golden, Fairwinds of Woodward Park, Farmers Insurance Tabangcura Agency, Fresno Family Medical Clinic, The Harvest at Fowler, Hinds Hospice Thrift Store - Clovis, Hinds Hospice Thrift Store - Madera, Horizon Health and Subacute Center, Integrated Care Systems- Visalia, Interim HealthCare of the Central Valley, Kingsburg Center, Kingston Bay Senior Living, Macias Dermatology, Manchester Center, Nazareth House Fresno, New Thought Community Church, Oakmont of Fresno, Optimal Hospice Care, Orchard Park Senior Living & Memory Care, Pacific Gardens Nursing and Rehabilitation Center, Paintbrush Assisted Living & Memory Care, Solstice Senior Living Clovis, Somerford Place Memory Care Assisted Living, Sunrise Assisted Living of Fresno, The Windham Senior Living, The Vineyards California Armenian Home, Twilight Haven, and Westmont of Fresno.
A pair of new socks can make all the difference to someone when they are homeless, especially as winter begins to set in. Interim HealthCare is proud to sponsor and participate in the SOCKtober event and hopes to collect over 2,000 pairs of socks this year. To contact Interim HealthCare with questions, or to arrange a pick-up, please call (559) 224-0560 or (559) 289-0807.
About:
For over 50 years, Interim HealthCare has provided loved ones with compassionate and professional home care. With over 300 locations throughout the United States, our nurses, therapists, aides, companions and other healthcare professionals provide a wide range of services including Home Health and Personal Care and Support. Interim HealthCare’s mission is to improve people’s lives through a broad range of home care expertise, trained professionals offering comprehensive home care and supportive services that are cost-effective and highly personalized.
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