A warm pair of socks.
Most people take them for granted.
But for those living unhoused and often wearing their footwear 24 hours a day, it’s not only uncomfortable but can cause serious health issues.
That’s why, for the 18th consecutive year, Cool Aid and its partners are joining together to raise $10,000 to buy 10,000 pairs of socks for people experiencing poverty and homelessness in the region.
Those on the front lines of caring for the marginalized — especially at this time of year — say clean, dry shoes and socks can make all the difference in preventing health conditions that are exacerbated by wet, cold feet.
Kellie Guarasci, a clinical nurse for Cool Aid, said they see it all when it comes to foot health — “everything from needing help with basic maintenance, to sores and lesions that can become infected and even lead to amputation if not caught in time.”
Cool Aid , KIA Victoria, La-Z-Boy Furniture and Perri’s Socks are all part of the initiative, which was started by Michael Bloomfield and Congregation Emanu-El in 2006.
In the 18 years since, the campaign has distributed 142,520 pairs of socks worth about $600,000 to thousands of people.
Cool Aid buys the socks at a discount from Perri’s Socks and La-Z-Boy Victoria donates the shipping. In 2020, KIA Victoria joined the effort with a $5,000 matching donation, which has allowed Cool Aid to buy even more socks.
The socks are distributed to people through more than 20 organizations on southern Vancouver Island.
Bethan and Brad Osterman of Kia Victoria — involved for the fifth consecutive year — said it’s one of the dealership’s charitable campaigns that it looks forward to the most.
“It is incredible to witness how such a small gesture can make such a giant difference to those in need,” said Bethan Osterman.
Brad Osterman added: “We’re in an area where we see the need every day and we feel that something as simple as good clean socks not only makes a difference in everyday life for people, but also overall health.”
Guarasci said dignity and nurturing are essential when people spend so much time alone, outside and without much physical contact.
She said at the Cool Aid Community Health Centre at 713 Johnson St., the simple act of being able to soak one’s feet and then leave with a clean pair of socks can make a “world of difference to physical and mental well being.”
In the winter months, Guarasci offers socks to almost everyone she sees at the centre.
“More people than ever are living outdoors and often they never go inside,” said Guarasci. “And the majority of those people are wearing old shoes that are not at all warm or waterproof.”
This year’s sock campaign will run until Nov. 30. Donations can be made at coolaid.org, by calling 250-383-1977 or at Kia Victoria, 2620 Government St.
>>> Gingerbread volunteers
Habitat Victoria is putting out the call for volunteer ambassadors to greet the expected 20,000 visitors to this year’s Gingerbread Showcase, running Nov. 22 to Jan. 5.
Donations to the popular event support Habitat for Humanity, which builds affordable homes with local families who want to become homeowners. The Gingerbread Showcase is the organization’s largest fundraiser of the year.
The event is open from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. daily in the Grand Pacific Hotel, 463 Belleville St.
Volunteer ambassadors greet guests and encourage them to vote and donate for their favourites, working in three-hour shifts with two to three people per shift. Sign up at https://signup.com/go/dbjeZJv to find what times and dates have openings for volunteers.
Anyone with questions about being a volunteer can contact [email protected].
Professional and home bakers are already busy creating ornate 100 per cent edible creations for the competition, which has a theme this year of “Through the Eyes of a Child.”
The displays are on a two-by-two-foot base and must stand at least 18 inches tall. Categories include: people’s choice award, best first impression, best skill and technique, best interpretation of the theme, most creative and original, and most diverse use of ingredients.
>>> Prosthetic limbs for Ukrainians
The Victoria Hand Project is partnering with Haida artist Michael Nicoll Yahgulanaas to fundraise to provide prosthetic limbs to Ukrainians who have lost them in the ongoing invasion by Russia.
Malaspina Printmakers in Vancouver is providing high-quality prints of Yahgulanaas’s work, which can be purchased online for $700. All proceeds will go to the Victoria Hand Project.
Yahgulanaas, whose work is displayed in the British Museum, the Metropolitan Museum of Art and public and private collections around the world, aims to raise $25,000 to help victims of the war in Ukraine by donating prints of his work Kyiv Child. The artist previously raised $75,000 for UNICEF and Doctors without Borders.
The piece, which he created after visiting Ukraine in 2019, would have been part of an art show in Kyiv that Yahgulanaas was scheduled to have in late 2021.
“I made many friends on that trip, and now they are huddling in basements, holding their children close. They worry about food, water, and Putin’s indiscriminate bombing of civilians,” Yahgulanaas said.
The Victoria Hand Project has provided more than 110 3-D-printed prosthetics to Ukrainians injured in the war with Russia. The charity has set up 3-D printing facilities in Ukraine and trained staff for fast and affordable prosthetic-limb production.
>>> Removing invasive plants
Twenty-three volunteers from all walks of life came together last weekend to transform Solstice Park in Langford by removing invasive Scotch broom plants, dead branches and small logs.
Langford councillors Mary Wagner and Colby Harder also attended the Nov. 3 event, a joint project of the Greater Victoria Green Team and Langford Fire Rescue through the B.C. FireSmart program.
Twenty-six cubic metres — the equivalent of almost 150 bathtubs — of invasive plants and debris was removed, according to Viloka Luna, partnerships manager for the Greater Victoria Green Team.
Participants learned about the importance of managing invasive plant species — particularly flammable ones — and the damage they can cause.
The Greater Victoria Green Team is a program of the charity Green Teams of Canada, which holds hands-on environmental activities such as invasive plant removals, tree plantings and litter clean-ups.
Go to the team’s website for before-and-after photos and volunteer testimonials.
- With files from Darron Kloster, Carla Wilson, Roxanne Egan-Elliott and Cindy E. Harnett
