You may roll your eyes when you get socks as a gift but when the St. Vincent de Paul First Place Family Center in Eugene didn’t have any to give to a mother and her three children, they spent the day with cold, damp feet. So everyone was thrilled on Tuesday, December 16, when Santa Claus and Guaranty RV employees showed up with hundreds of pairs of socks and hand-knitted hats.
Socks are donated by community members and RVers at weekly summer BBQs, Guaranty Travelers rallies and during a friendly competition called Socktober among Guaranty departments. This year we collected a total of 100 hats and nearly 1,000 pairs of socks. Barbara Nill from Guaranty said, “In the last nine years we have donated over 12,000 pairs of socks to warm the feet and hearts of our neighbors.” Five years ago, caring travel club members Ole and Lauretta Numen from Brookings, Ore. started knitting hats in their motorcoach as an evening activity.
The socks and hats are donated to various St. Vincent de Paul assistance centers (including First Place Family Center) and Junction City Local Aid.
First Place Family Center is a place where families who are low income, in transition or in danger of losing their housing can stay and get support to become self-sufficient. Since 1945, Junction City Local Aid has provided a food pantry, clothing and other support to low-income residents in the Junction City area. Guaranty also made a holiday donation of 36 frozen turkeys to Local Aid.
“It reminds you that a simple piece of clothing can a big difference in someone’s life,” said Barbara. “Makes me proud to work and do business with such good people.”
