The Woodward News

Local News

October 31, 2012

‘Socks for Seniors’ looking for local organizer

Gary Engel Woodward News

Woodward, Okla. — "Socks for Seniors" is coming to Woodward and is looking for coordinators and potential dropoff locations.

Jamie Coyne of Columbus, Ohio, conceived the project 11 years ago and by 2011 had 250 collection sites across the country and around 25,000 pairs of socks had been collected to help seniors in need.

"It's such a simple thing," he said. "Giving a pair of socks. We don't ask for money and we are volunteer-based."

The idea came from a couple of sources, Coyne said. His parents were in their 50s when he was born, so he understood early the needs of the elderly and on another occasion he encountered a woman who needed socks and he was able to help her out.

Socks are something seniors can always use, he said.

Coyne said collections can be taken until Dec. 23 and he is hoping right now for 1 "Socks for Seniors" drop box in Woodward and maybe the idea will spread from there.

"The box can be sponsored by a school, a civic club, a church, a business," he said.

The donor box sponsors will need a couple of days before Christmas to distribute gifts and have the recipients get them on time.

Coyne said all types of socks are accepted, but he is hoping for some unusual types of socks or colorful socks to be donated as well.

"They make for conversation pieces among the people who get them and the people working at the drop boxes," Coyne said.

Coyne said the principle of "the more, the merrier" really applies to the number of box locations. The more dropoff sites there are, the more seniors will be helped.

The only collection sites in Oklahoma currently are in Tulsa and Haskell, Coyne said.

Groups who would like to sponsor a box dropoff and also have someone who can coordinate the drive locally and make sure the socks get where they need to go can find information at www.socksforseniors.com.

Sponsor sign-up is on the left side of the page.

You can also sign up to sponsor a donation box, or get more information about "Socks for Seniors," by calling Coyne’s wife Kitty at (206) 337-9737 or kitty@socksforseniors.com.

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