Shelter Receives 'Mountain of Socks'

Published by the Columbia Missourian - Emily Schwarze                                                                   January 8, 2004

           

Shelter Receives 'Mountain of Socks'
A drive organized by an area staffing service, brought in thousands of socks.

Employees for Caroline & Co., an area staffing service, had no idea whether they’d be able to collect a couple thousand pairs of socks for Columbia’s Rainbow House, a shelter for abused and neglected children.

The office had received around 700 pairs by Dec. 18, said Holly Schneider, manager of the company.  The following day, when Schneider collected socks from schools and businesses, she filled up the back of her pick-up once and had to make another trip.

“We had literally a mountain of socks that filled our lobby.” Barbara Carman of the company said.

“We received all kinds of socks,” Schneider said.  “Disney socks.  Christmas socks.  Athletic socks – from newborn baby-size up to adult-size socks.’’

In the end, the drive amassed 3,446 pairs of socks – enough to supply the Rainbow House for a year and save the facility thousands of dollars.

One elementary school that contributed socks was Shepard Boulevard School, which partners with Rainbow House every year for various drives.

“We had a amazing response – the kids only had 1 ½ weeks,” Shepard Principal JoNetta Weaver said.

The school collected three to four large boxes of socks and presented them to Sharon Tepper, the director of Rainbow House, during the school’s winter assembly on the Friday before Christmas.

Tepper said children at the Rainbow House have been talking about their “fancy feet” since receiving their socks.