Hannah's Socks • warm feet, warm hearts

As a preschool teacher, my students do a lot of learning through the songs and finger-plays we do at circle-time.

A recent little finger-play we have been doing has been helping my students to learn the concept of generosity through the act of giving. The words are as follows: "Some gifts are big. Some gifts are small. Some gifts are short. Some gifts are tall. Big, small, short, tall -- they’re all given with love, and that’s best of all!"

This same little finger-play also makes me think of our time and actions as Hannah's Socks volunteers when we are spending our Saturday mornings at the Downtown Toledo Library.

Just substitute the word "socks" for gifts in the above finger-play! "Some socks are big" -- for men and women. "Some socks are small" -- for children. "Some socks are short" -- for warmer weather days. "Some socks are tall" -- for colder days in fall and winter.

"Big, small, short, tall -- they're all given with love! And that’s best of all!"

Learn about volunteering with Hannah's Socks.

Lisa volunteers regularly with our Toledo-area team and shares her experiences in a regular feature called "Volunteer Diary."

When I volunteer with Hannah's Socks on Saturday mornings at the Downtown Toledo Library, I almost always feel like I have a positive experience. Whether it's from the opportunity to share a smile and meet someone new while handing out socks, or whether it's from a casual conversation with one of my ol' familiar "downtown friends," positive experiences are frequent!

Sometimes, however, my volunteer experiences have also been sad and disheartening, like when a new friend told me that her electricity had been turned off in the cold of winter because her boyfriend, unbeknownst to her, had stopped making payments in order to feed a drug addiction.

But this past Saturday, volunteering was just flat out FUN! While other Hannah's Socks volunteers were handing out socks, a recent non-sock donation we received meant I had hat and scarf duty! It was so much fun digging through the big tubs to help someone find the "perfect" hat or scarf. Read more »

Big thanks go out today to someone very special -- my niece Kylie! -- and her fellow sixth grade class at the First Lutheran Church of Lake City, Minnesota!

The students collected 24 pairs of socks, which I'll be delivering to Hannah's Socks headquarters this week. Way to go!

It was a chilly start to the day on the lawn of the Downtown Toledo Library for our group of 12 Hannah's Socks volunteers, but the opportunity to hand out warm socks and warm coats was more than enough to warm our spirits!

Thanks to help from our friends at Cousino Harris Disaster Kleenup, we were able to give away many clean, warm coats to those who needed them, in addition to some hats and scarves — and, of course, many, many pairs of socks! Read more »

"Never look down on anybody unless you're helping him up." -- Jesse Jackson

I read this when I got home after volunteering with Hannah's Socks this past Saturday morning. And on a morning that started out cold enough to give us a little preview of the winter weather and temperatures soon to come, we know that there are many people in the Toledo area who will be needing some "helping up."

The quote really made me think of my morning at the Downtown Toledo Library handing out socks to men, women, and children in need.

Let's not look down on the man asking for thermal socks because the homeless shelter where he lives has a broken boiler and no heat. Let's not look down on the woman pushing a stroller with her little girl and sons in 30 degree temperatures while lugging a garbage bag of kids' clothes she was just given. Read more »

Well, after being gone for what seemed like forever, I was finally able to go to the Downtown Toledo Library to help with Hannah's Socks this past weekend!

It was definitely a chilly, breezy morning for the month of May along with an initial threat of rain, but Mother Nature cooperated. She decided to give a little sunshine as we gave away a couple hundred pairs of socks!

Thanks to Tabitha and Mike, who secured the boxes and card tables from the wind as folks lined up to see what Hannah's Socks had to share. There were definitely some new faces waiting for socks but some of my old friends were there, too.

One man told me he had a need for socks as he was awaiting heel surgery. Another young man shared that he was so thankful for the long socks he received because he is working construction right now and has to wear work boots. A third man was so pleased that we had socks that would fit his four children that were with him. Read more »

It may almost be Spring, but this past Saturday didn't quite feel like it with Mother Nature adding some cold rain and wind to our morning at the Downtown Toledo Library!

Fortunately, the Headman family wasn’t discouraged by the rain and joined me, with umbrellas in tow, to hand out socks and lip balm to our friends in need who also decided to come out despite the dreary weather.

One man's spirits were not dampened as he jokingly asked if we were also handing out the umbrellas that we were using to keep the socks dry! I kind of felt like a U.S. postal worker: despite rain, hail, sleet, or snow -- Hannah's Socks will deliver!

I do know that I myself am sure looking forward to Spring's warm temperatures, warm breezes, and warm sunshine to go along with the "Warm Feet, Warm Hearts" of Hannah's Socks!

Learn about volunteering with Hannah's Socks.

Lisa volunteers regularly with our Toledo-area team and shares her experiences in a weekly feature called "Volunteer Diary." Newsletter subscribers get to read her posts first.

"Would you like some Girl Scout Cookies?" That seemed to be the most attention-grabbing question of the morning from the past Saturday volunteering at the Downtown Toledo Library... even more than our routine question of "Would you like a pair of socks?"

Hannah's Socks was the recipient of a generous donation of 80 boxes of Girl Scout Cookies to hand out to our friends in need who also had a craving for cookies!

Unfortunately there was not enough for everyone due to the popularity of such a sweet surprise -- but those who received a box were very happy. Who doesn't love a Thin Mint or Peanut Butter Pattie?

For just one morning, in addition to the Hannah’s Socks volunteers using socks to warm feet and hearts, we also helped provide a few "full stomachs, full hearts."

Thank you Girl Scouts for your generosity to Toledo's men, women, and children in need!

Learn about volunteering with Hannah's Socks.

Lisa volunteers regularly with our Toledo-area team and shares her experiences in a weekly feature called "Volunteer Diary." Newsletter subscribers get to read her posts first.

A recent Saturday, the day before Valentine's Day, the Hannah's Socks volunteers were at the Downtown Toledo Library to help "share the love" with our friends in need.

Cupid's helpers included a young married couple, a family with three young children, a group of young people from the Perrysburg YMCA, Hannah's Socks co-founder Vic Turner and his father-in-law, and yours truly :)

I think this was the biggest group of volunteers I'd ever seen at one time helping to "Care, Share, Give A Pair"! And it was a good thing we had a big group of volunteers, because we had lots of "love" to share with many socks, gloves, hats, scarves, tubes of lip balm, and bottles of hand moisturizer. We had three overflowing card tables full of boxes of pre-Valentine’s Day "goodies" to give away. What a wonderful way to celebrate the Valentine’s Day weekend! Thanks to all who came out.

Learn about volunteering with Hannah's Socks.

Lisa volunteers regularly with our Toledo-area team and shares her experiences in a weekly feature called "Volunteer Diary." Newsletter subscribers get to read her posts first.

When you think about having conversations about "beauty," you probably wouldn't think of that conversation happening outside in frigid cold temperatures with a man who may be homeless. But that's exactly what happened this past Saturday at the Downtown Toledo Library!

One of our friends who visits with us regularly as the Hannah's Socks volunteers are giving out socks started a conversation about how beauty is what is on the inside of someone. He commented that looks can often be deceiving. Although he might see a "beauty" on the outside, that same desirable goodness may not be on the inside.

His words are so true! Often the image that comes to mind when we think of a homeless person is that of someone who appears unkempt, wearing tattered, dirty clothes; that's not only a stereotype that rarely reflects the true face of homelessness, but that point-of-view means we're very likely missing out on the beauty that can come from within! Read more »