The class of 2026 collected 1,768 pairs of socks for the homeless through their Socktober drive, which ran from Oct. 1 through Oct. 18.  

The socks were donated to Bellefaire JCB.

As winter draws close and temperatures drop, homeless people will be stuck outside without warmth or shelter. Although many organizations collect clothes and coats, socks are an item that are often overlooked.  

“The biggest thing that homeless people need are socks,” class of 2026 adviser Pam Miller said. 

Class leaders also put a lot of work into planning the drive.

“Student council met as a group several times to plan this and make sure everything ran smoothly,” said Allie Rindsberg, who is secretary of the class of 2026.

Class of 2026 President Sasha Kheyfets said advertising was important to increasing donations for this year’s sock drive. 

“We [posted] a lot of flyers, we [asked Mr. Alexander to send] out a lot of emails, we made posters and we had announcements every morning,” Kheyfets said.

At least 16 teachers supported the Socktober drive by giving students extra credit or homework passes for donating new pairs of socks.

“I definitely think extra credit motivates students to bring in socks because everyone wants to boost their grade,” junior Allie Rindsberg said.

The number of homeless people in the Cleveland area has increased since the pandemic.  

More and more homeless encampments have been popping up around Cleveland.  Not only that but there are more children among them now.  

Many BHS students feel good about making a positive impact on other people’s lives.  

“I think it’s a great way to get students involved in giving back to the community,” Rindsberg said.