WEST FARGO – The Golden Drive Homeless Kids sock drive has returned to the metro.
Sue Baron, who founded the Golden Drive Homeless Kids nonprofit, says the sock drive started with a simple interview with WDAY Radio’s Jay Thomas.
“Jay had asked what is one of the top needs,” Baron told Flag Family News. “And that being socks.”
The annual sock drive has grown to collecting 36,906 new socks for kids in 2024.
Baron said the collection drive gives hope to the homeless kids in the area. Now through October 3, new socks will be collected at locations across the region, including at our Flag Family Studios, located at 2852 Thunder Road South.
In October, Baron will gather the socks, organize them and disperse them among the homeless kids in the community – all in one month. The dispersal includes going to the schools and shelters that homeless kids come in contact with.
“They can just put the socks right on their own feet,” she said. “They can pick their own socks out.”
Baron said a group of students from Fargo Public School’s Dakota High School come out and organize the socks with Baron.
The drive brings happiness to Sue’s life.
“For our homeless kids, the only difference from them is that they’re not housed,” she said. “One day, they’ll be leaders.”
Baron credits the community’s volunteerism for the sock drive’s success.
“None of this is possible without our great volunteers,” she said. “It’s all volunteer run.”
While acknowledging there are more homeless kids now than ever before, Baron also says there is more community involvement in helping from those experiencing homelessness.
“They do more than using that word homeless,” she said. “They do a lot of volunteer stuff, too. But they’re thankful for what they get.”
