Students In Miami Offer Up Their Socks For The Homeless

Follow CBSMIAMI.COM: Facebook | Twitter

MIAMI (CBSMiami) -- It's Homeless Awareness Day in Miami-Dade and kids at school are being taught to give back.

It isn't exactly the shirts off their backs, but it's close.

"They're called the forgotten ones because people act like they're nobody. But that's not true. They're people," said Maximo Mayora of Highland Oaks Middle School.

Thursday November 5th is Homeless Awareness Day in Miami-Dade and students across the county are participating in 'Socks on a String' -- a program that is warming the hearts of students and the feet of homeless people in the county.

"I taught for 13 years before becoming a school board member and what I didn't realize in the very beginning was that, actually, each year, I've had at least one student, one student who I had contact with whose family was homeless," said Miami-Dade School Board member Martin Karp.

So, why socks?

"What we've learned over the years, when people come in to our centers and are new to our facilities, is they need socks," said Ron Book of the Homeless Trust. "It's one of the most important clothes items we can provide to people."

Book is one of 27 board members of the Homeless Trust made up of community leaders, formerly homeless individuals, educators and clergy, hoping to get the kids informed and involved.

"In the winter, I get cold with my socks. And I thought in the winter, wouldn't it be nice for them to be warm too," asked Dylan Barron, a student at Highland Oaks Middle School.

The kids collected thousands of socks and hung them around the school to bring awareness to the homeless issues in the community. Highland Oaks Middle School makes one of the largest donations.

"We were so sad that there are so many homeless people in the community and it's a really poor thing for them," said Mayora. "So we wanted to give back to the community and make sure they have the things they need."

The kids have been bringing in new socks over the last three weeks. The Homeless Trust will gather all the donations and distribute the socks to all of their homeless centers across Miami-Dade and at community centers like the Salvation Army in time for the holidays.