Innovative holiday collection effort lifts patients

A spirit of volunteerism that has been an important element of Footprints to Recovery's clinical program took on a holiday theme at one of the outpatient substance use treatment organization's sites a year ago. An effort to collect socks for local homeless shelters has grown into an organization-wide campaign this holiday season, with a goal of distributing 10,000 pairs of socks across five communities from New Jersey to Arizona.

Footprints to Recovery's Caitlin Simpson, LCSW, LCADC, director of clinical operations, tells Addiction Professional that for patients in the organization's five outpatient treatment locations, “Socks of Love” has generated great excitement over the opportunity to give back.

“A lot of our patients have really struggled with negative self-image,” says Simpson. “They have guilt and shame attached to the decisions they've made in the past. To be able to have them be a part of giving back, and have someone look up to them and say 'thank you' with gratitude in their eyes, that's touching.”

At the same time, Footprints to Recovery programs in New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Illinois, Colorado and Arizona will be meeting an important community goal in serving individuals who are homeless. Socks are one of the most critical, but least often donated, items for homeless shelters. Organizations serving the homeless help people who are on their feet much of the day and are susceptible to foot ailments.

“We started this in Arlington Heights (Illinois) last year, and we've spread it this year,” says Simpson. Each outpatient facility's team of “volunteer warriors,” patients who voluntarily participate in community service projects throughout the year, coordinate the sock collections and deliver the donated items to the shelters, she says. After collecting 1,000 pairs of socks in the Illinois effort last year, Footprints to Recovery leaders appear confident that they will reach the 10,000 mark this time, with efforts now taking place at each of the organization's locations (Arlington Heights, Ill., Hamilton, N.J., Wayne, Pa., Centennial, Colo., and Mesa, Ariz.). Footprints to Recovery has publicized the efforts largely through social media.

Personal touch

The patients who helped to launch Socks of Love last year personalized the donations by placing the socks in a gift bag and including a holiday card with words of encouragement for the recipient. A basic meal was included in the gift package as well.

The volunteers help to identify which organizations in the community will receive the donations. Simpson says volunteering has been an important component of experiential learning at Footprints to Recovery centers, and serves as a way to prepare patients for future experiences in the workforce. “Every month we do something different,” she says.

The personal benefits to patients are numerous, Simpson has observed. “These are good people, even though they may have made some bad choices in life,” she says.