Stantec’s North American Holiday sock donation initiative

Socks are one of the most needed—but least donated—articles of clothing to homeless shelters and are needed year-round. Though it might seem like a minor detail of everyday life for most of us, having a clean pair of socks is life-changing for those in need. Some people walk several miles per day, regardless of the weather, often leaving them with socks that are worn, dirty, and damp.

In late 2019, our Stantec sock vendor generously donated a ton of socks for us give away. Instead of strictly donating them, we wanted to make a more impactful donation and involve our employees. We set up the Holiday Sock Donation Initiative that started just after the holiday season. In most households, socks are stocking stuffers to be opened Christmas Day. This created the perfect time to start the initiative—people could donate any extra socks they received during the holidays.

From mid-January to mid-February, we asked employees to donate as many socks as possible with a goal of 2,000 pairs.

Our employees went above and beyond and donated over 4,500 pairs of socks to amazing charities throughout Canada and the United States:

Boyle Street Community Services
519Pursuit
People Serving People
The Joy of Sox
Noah Project Detroit
Street Help
SoupMobile of Dallas
The Open Shelter
City Mission
Esther Marie Hatton Center for Women
Salvation Army Okemos

Because of this, we have decided to contribute a monetary donation to these organizations as well. Along with the 4,500 pairs of socks, we are giving over $4,600 to these great charities.

It’s our privilege to give back to so many incredible organizations that strengthen communities and help individuals grow and gain confidence.