The Socks and Underwear Drive sponsored by the Gloucester Unitarian Universalist Church ended on May 31 but that hasn’t stopped the flow of donations. The church has received more than 300 undergarments, over 500 pairs of socks, and they’re still counting!
Two local clothing stores, Nelson’s in Gloucester and the John Tarr Store in Rockport, supported the cause by collecting donated items, but they didn’t stop there. They offered sales to make donating more affordable and made their own generous gifts to the drive. The Unitarian Universalist Society of Rockport aided the effort by providing a collection site and encouraging members to donate.
Kate Ruzecki, volunteer and board member at the Gloucester Church described the bounty, “A sock is no longer just a sock. There are crew, and ankle and no-show in every color, fabric and package size – charming socks for the littlest kids – every cute shape, size and color. One pair looks like safari camouflage with tiny little animals. We have small boys’ underwear in bright metallic shades, and girls’ in pretty colors and designs. We even have men’s long underwear donated by Nelson’s to keep people warm next winter.”
Church volunteers have turned all the cash donations into garments, buying sizes and types that were under-represented in the donation bins. The Grace Center, a local nonprofit providing day services to adults who are homeless or in need of support, will receive and distribute the adult size donations. Pathways for Children, a local nonprofit providing education and support to low income families, will recieve and distribute the child size items. There will be a lot of happy feet (not to mention bottoms) on Cape Ann children and adults this coming year.
Holly Tanguay, Co-president of the Gloucester church expressed heartfelt thanks for donors’ generosity, “Inflation is pinching our purses and Covid is making everyday life more challenging but neither burden stopped the citizens of Gloucester and Rockport from demonstrating how much they care about their neighbors. We are awestruck by the generosity demonstrated here.”
Volunteers Kate Ruzecki and Lucille Amero of the Gloucester Unitarian Universalist Church sort through a wealth of donations:
Good Morning Gloucester 