Every October for the last several years, FCCLA hosts a competition to see who can donate the most. Donations include hygiene products and socks, which is how the event gets its name of Socktober. At the end of the competition, which goes from October 15th to 30th, the donations are taken to Dream Center in Peoria to be given to the homeless population of the city.

Although everyone can donate new and packaged socks, each grade has been assigned with a different set of hygiene products.

• Freshman can donate toothbrushes and toothpaste.
• Sophomores can donate deodorant and toilet paper.
• Juniors can donate body wash and soap.
• Seniors can donate shampoo and conditioner.

Any donations will be accepted by FCCLA members right as you walk in the door in the morning. Outside of that, they can be dropped off in Ms. Sands’ room at any time.

The mission of the Socktober competition is to help out members of the Peoria community that need it, especially during the winter months. The Peoria Dream Center has a Hope Store that opens around the same time of year, so FCCLA (and in the past, members of the school) takes the donations up to the Hope Store to be handed out.

The reason socks are prioritized is because during cold and damp winter weather, a lack of good clean socks can lead to blisters and other health problems. Socks are also an excellent way to help simply because of the fact that they are simple, not specific to any theme (as some clothes may be), and each size can fit a wide variety of people. All of this makes it easier to help as many people as possible. Taking donations in the form of a competition also helps to make students who might not donate otherwise interested, at least when it comes to beating the other grades at something.

So throughout the week up until October 30th, be sure to hand in new and packaged socks as well as your grade’s designated hygiene products, in turn helping the homeless population of Peoria to have a better winter.