In North Carolina, over 11,000 people are considered homeless and this number is projected to increase. The Durham, Wake, and Orange Counties alone account for 2,000 of these people. While Durham Rescue Mission reports receiving over 48,000 donated articles of clothing a year, the majority of homeless shelters still report a desperate need for undergarments including basic socks and underwear.

 

House the Homeless Inc. cites underwear as the greatest need of homeless people in America and according to the executive director of Share, a non-profit dedicated to helping individuals transition out of homelessness:

“socks and underwear are two of the least donated yet most needed items.”

In fact, this past winter, Urban Ministries of Durham specifically reached out to donors and asked them to purchase packages of new undergarments for donation.

 

Undergarments are essential to keep warm, clean, and healthy. For example, without fresh socks, it is difficult to stay warm during the winter months and athlete’s foot, frostbite, and blisters thrive when damp socks are worn for days or weeks at a time. A fresh supply of underwear has a significant impact on personal hygiene, health, self-worth and confidence. 

 

Our Impact

 

After 18 months of operation of our Buy One Give Many program, we hope to have served all 2,000 of the homeless population in the Durham, Wake, and Orange Counties with at least one basic undergarment package. This means producing and donating over 13,000 pairs of socks, 10,000 pairs of boxer briefs, 5,000 pairs of underwear, and 600 bras. By making these donations, we hope to increase personal hygiene, general health, and overall quality of life of the beneficiaries. We hope that these bare necessities will increase individuals’ confidence in order to continue working toward overcoming the significant obstacles out of homelessness.