Socks. Something so simple and yet we hoard them like they’re candy bars hidden under our bed that our parents don’t know about. We have polka-dotted ones, fuzzy ones, that one strange Pokémon printed pair, and even a few for the holidays.

The reality though, is that thousands of our fellow community members are without them. Though socks do not often come to mind when thinking about basic necessities, with winter fast approaching, they are crucial to comfort and safety.

“A lot of people who are in stress financially don’t have the means to wash the socks and they don’t have the socks, and it’s getting cold,” FCCLA (Family, Career and Community Leaders of America) faculty advisor Judith Glesne said.

This Oct., FCCLA hosted the second annual ‘Soctober’, which was started last year but has continued in the hopes of establishing a tradition. Students and staff donated new or slightly used socks, which were collected in their second hour class and then donated to the Lydia House, an Omaha-based women’s center committed to ending homelessness and poverty.

Junior Kiersten Preuss, one of 13 officers in charge of arranging activities, joined FCCLA her freshman year. She proposed the idea last year after spotting it on her Pinterest feed.

“Last year was my first year in charge of activities and I decided I wanted something really fun but easy to participate in so the whole school could be involved,” Preuss said. “I saw that another school had participated in it before, and I thought it would be cool if our school could as well.”.

Special education teacher Barbara Moore’s class of 13 students donated 133 pairs of socks, the most out of any class. They won donuts, but Moore explains that serving is about more than recognition and free treats.

“I think it’s important to help other people, but I think that we also feel good when we are able to do something for somebody else,” Moore said.  

With a grand total of 819 pairs of socks, FCCLA’s 2017 Soctober will help hundreds of struggling civilians. The socks, delivered on Nov. 10, provide a cozy solution to the icy winter that is just around the corner. For many citizens of Omaha, socks, as simple as they may be, are a small bundle of hope that helps during hardships.                            

FCCLA has proven that one month and a high school full of generous students and staff really can make a difference in the community.  Fueled by the success of last year and this past Oct., they are planning to make Soctober an annual event. Led by Glesne and supported by dozens of diligent students, FCCLA will continue to serve Omaha, one pair of socks at a time.