Tom Costello Jr., an adjunct professor at Montgomery County Community College, is helping people in need keep their feet warm through his nonprofit Joy of Socks, writes Shaun Brady for ThePhiladelphia Inquirer.
Each year, Joy of Socks collects thousands of socks and distributes them to agencies that offer services to the homeless population in the Philadelphia area.
A former engineer, Costello got interested in helping after he accompanied his wife to a local homeless shelter where she was volunteering. There, he heard a volunteer podiatrist mention the many health issues that not wearing socks can cause.
Next time, Costello brought socks that he then handed out.
“This lady looked me in the eyes and said, ‘No one has ever given me a pair of socks before.’ Then she started to cry,” said Costello. “She reached out to give me a hug and, poof, that was my epiphany moment.
On the way home I thought, ‘I’ve got to be the sock guy.’”
Nearly ten years on, Joy of Sock has now handed out nearly 350,000 pairs of socks.
Read more about the Joy of Socks at The Philadelphia Inquirer by clicking here.
