Nancy Peed, manager of the Well, called it Christmas in January.
Her storage room was filled with boxes upon boxes of new supplies, including hundreds of pairs of new socks, stacks of towels, blankets, cleaning supplies, personal hygiene items, gloves, bike locks, water and more.
All donated, the items will serve homeless individuals who visit the Well, a daytime hospitality and resource center in downtown Brunswick.
The collection of items was the result of last year’s Socktober & More initiative, created and led by local Brunswick High sophomore and UGA Extension Glynn County 4-H member Chanthony Andrews Jr.
Andrews put out a call starting Oct. 1, 2021, for donations for the Well, which is run through FaithWorks Ministries, and for Saved By Grace, a local nonprofit that runs a men’s shelter and that aids the area’s homeless through a variety of services.
“Y’all are awesome,” Peed told Andrews and his mom, Terenda Jones, when they dropped off the donations at the Well.
Andrews hosted the first Socktober project in 2020 and expanded the idea last year by asking for a wider range of donated items. His interest in helping the homeless began years ago, though, when he was using his own money to buy laundry detergent and bleach for the Well as a way to make a difference in the community.
“I really can’t say enough about him,” said Honey Sparre, director of homeless ministries for FaithWorks. “From a young man in middle school using his own money to buy laundry detergent so those experiencing homelessness could wash their clothes, to look at all this.”
Andrews has gained leadership development through the 4-H program, which he said helped him launch Socktober. He also saw an increase in donations this year from businesses and organizations in the area.
Andrews received a 4-H grant to support the most recent Socktober campaign as well, and his donation included more than 100 cards with handwritten messages from 4-H students around Georgia.
“A big part of Georgia 4-H is to give back,” he said.
Andrews gave credit to the impact his 4-H experience has had on the success of Socktober. But Beth Walker, the local 4-H agent, made sure he knew where much of the credit is due.
“I just sit back and watch you do it,” she said.