CLEVELAND — Winter is an especially challenging time for people without a warm place to call home, but an Ohio teen says a small item can help make a big difference. 
 

What You Need To Know

  • Javi Swinarski started holding a sock drive at his school in fourth grade

  • Now in ninth grade, this year's drive collected 10,155 socks

  • He donates the socks to area nonprofits helping the homeless

When he’s not at school, Javi Swinarski spends a lot of time on his computer. Yes, he plays games, but also gets down to business, sending e-mails to companies requesting donations for his annual sock drive. 

He started his caring crusade after a field trip in fourth grade to John Carroll University.

“They were discussing homelessness and why it’s important to help each other out,” Javi said. 

The talk stuck with Javi and got him thinking. Especially about the need for socks.

“Can I make a difference?” he asked. “Do I have the ability to make a difference in this world and help the homeless?”

The answer is “yes.”

Javi collects socks from his classmates at Gilmour Academy each fall since his fourth-grade year. His first drive collected 500 socks, but now in his sixth year, he collected more than 10,000. 

Javi brought about 6,000 of those pairs to the Father Michael Wittman Ozanam Center in East Cleveland. Volunteers there say socks are typically one of the hardest-things to keep in stock.

“Socks wear out, feet grow,” said John Kirn, a volunteer at the Father Michael Wittman Ozanam Center.

Kirn said Javi’s donation will have a major impact on the people they serve.

“He keeps going like this, he’s going to become one of our leaders in the country, as far as I’m concerned,” Kirn said of Javi.

Javi helped sort bundles of socks into baskets for men and women, to make it easier for folks like Marvin Holimon to find what they need.

“Unfortunately, I’m not wearing socks, that’s why I came here to get some socks,” Holimon said. 

Holimon is one of dozens of people who filter through the center each week to pick up some necessities.

“I’m very grateful for what he did for me, and I’m sure the community is very appreciative of his sacrifice,” he said. 

Seeing the people benefitting from his donation drive is strengthening Javi’s determination to do more good.

“I know socks doesn’t seem like a big thing, but it really makes an impact on somebody,” he said. 

Javi is applying for nonprofit status for his sock drive to help secure corporate donations. He says if you’d like to help his cause, donate a new pair of socks to your local shelter.