#SOCKTOBER

October is a busy month filled with many exciting events and changes; hunting your winter woollies out from the back of the wardrobe, finding the perfect Halloween costume and consuming enough pumpkin spiced lattes to singlehandedly keep Starbucks in business. Not to mention the vast changes to our landscape; falling leaves of brown and red tones which were not too long-ago vibrant greens and yellows – and the sudden drop in temperature, leaving you glued to the front of your warm fire. #SOCKTOBER supports those that perhaps don’t have these things to look forward to during our beautiful season, instead the harsher weather makes their lives even harder. Socktober aims to show regular citizens that what may seem like a small act of kindness to many, goes a long way to others.

With the cold weather drawing in, it is vital that those sleeping on the streets or in cold conditions are protected with warm feet. Having a pair of socks may seem like a simple need, but really it is our feet that helps stabilise our entire body temperature. In reality, socks can have a large impact on a person’s quality of life.

Did you know that socks are the most urgently required but less donated items to homeless shelters?

Socktober was created by a man named Brad in 2011. Brad realised that there was a large homeless population in his hometown in the United States, and vowed to do something about this epidemic. After conducting research, he discovered this immense need for socks amongst homeless communities and realised that providing this somewhat simple item of clothing whilst raising awareness was his way of helping the less fortunate in society. Brad began handing out socks to people on the streets wishing them ‘Happy Socktober!’, and this act was filmed and uploaded onto social media where it soon became a viral sensation. Since, many people have approached Brad wondering how they could help, and Socktober has gained more and more publicity year upon year and been able to reach hundreds of homeless people in need. Now, not only are socks donated, but Socktober has allowed Brad to identify what each state specifically requires and adhere to these needs. Many items now include sanitary products, blankets and other types of clothing.

To find out more information visit https://www.happysocktober.com/

Currently, Socktober is only active in the United States. However, around the world companies and citizens have developed their own ways to support the same cause – as unfortunately homelessness is a global epidemic.

Our Hawick neighbours, House of Cheviot, have teamed up with Edinburgh-based social enterprise ‘Social Bite’ to donate a pair of socks to the homeless for every customer purchase in October. House of Cheviot pride themselves in producing immaculate quality socks – with every luxury sock passing through 12 highly skilled processes and manufactured using the finest raw materials.

If you would like to know more about House of Cheviot and support Social Bite this Socktober, you can visit their website here https://www.houseofcheviot.com/