FALMOUTH — For the homeless and those living on the margins, many of the basic comforts of life are out of reach – including the ability to grab a fresh pair of warm, dry socks to soothe tired and aching feet.

That’s why the Foreside Community Church has partnered with the Grace-Street Ministry in Portland to collect and distribute new and gently used socks to those living on the city’s streets this winter.

Dorothy Blanchette, chairwoman of the Justice & Outreach Committee at the church, said donations of socks can be dropped off at the church office from 9 a.m.-3 p.m. weekdays through Feb. 8.

Blanchette said the church has made financial gifts to the Grace-Street Ministry for at least the last decade, but the committee wanted to do something that would make an immediate difference this year.

She said socks are important because the homeless often spend much of the day on their feet and their access to laundry facilities is limited. They often also experience foot pain or discomfort that could be helped by having clean socks.

Blanchette said what she most appreciates about the Grace-Street Ministry is that the organization “meets people where they are and doesn’t try to proselytize to them. Their whole goal is to make a personal connection, and having socks to hand out” helps with that.

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She said donations of thermal or wool socks in all sizes and styles are welcome. “When the weather is cold and wet, like it is right now,” Blanchette said, “that’s when the need is greatest.”

The Grace-Street Ministry offers “compassionate outreach to the homeless and marginalized in downtown Portland,” according to the organization’s website, and was founded in 2006.

Pastor Jeff Logan, its executive director, this week said the most important aspect of his work is to “put a human face on an often-faceless community.”

“The basic humanity of these people (often) gets lost,” he said, which is why Grace-Street focuses a lot of outreach on the comfort and solace that a simple pair of socks can provide.

“In many ways, socks are the foundation item for our ministry,” Logan said. “I personally always carry a large yellow backpack full” to give away. And this time of year providing “warm, dry winter socks is of huge importance.”

“We’ve all managed to step in a puddle and soak our shoes and socks,” he said. “Those of us who are housed can go home, take off the wet socks, dry our feet and put on a nice, fresh, dry pair. But for people on the street, they may just have to continue to wear those wet socks for days.”

On the streets, where people often feel discarded and dismissed, little things mean a lot, Logan added; a pair of dry socks shares “a little bit of love from people they may never meet, but who took the time and the trouble to care about them.”

Kate Irish Collins can be reached at 780-9097 or kcollins@theforecaster.net. Follow Kate on Twitter: @KIrishCollins.

The Foreside Community Church in Falmouth is collecting new and gently used socks to distribute to the homeless and marginalized in downtown Portland. Items can be dropped off at the church, 340 Foreside Road, through Feb. 8.


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