When people hear about Project Socks, they see the results: thousands of pairs donated, partnerships, growth. What they don’t see is how it started.

It started with cold-calling homeless shelters at 16 – something most people my age wouldn’t EVER consider. I wasn’t polished or strategic. It was uncomfortable.

The Reality of Cold Calling

I had one simple question: what do people actually need? So I picked up the phone and started calling homeless shelters and community organizations. No connections, no network. Just a 16-year-old calling adults and asking, “What are your top three most needed items right now?”

Some people were helpful while others were rushed. A few didn’t have time. And yeah, it was EXTREMELY awkward. But I kept going.

Cold Calling Homeless Shelters: The Pattern I Didn’t Expect

After enough calls, a pattern showed up: different shelters, same answer…socks. Almost always in the top three.

At first, it didn’t seem like a big insight. But it made sense: socks wear out fast, they’re essential for hygiene, and they’re one of the least donated items. That moment changed everything.

What This Taught Me About Helping

Before those calls, I thought helping meant collecting whatever people were willing to give. But that approach is flawed as it’s based on what donors want to give, not what people actually need.

Those calls taught me something simple: helping isn’t about guessing it’s about listening. And that lesson came from being willing to do something uncomfortable most people avoid, especially at that age!

A lot of well-intentioned efforts miss this. People donate random items. Organizations end up sorting things they can’t use. It feels productive, but it’s not always effective. Impact comes from specificity, not more donations, but better ones.

That idea still drives Project Socks today: focus on what’s actually needed, stay in contact with shelters, and prioritize usefulness over volume. I started it all with a few uncomfortable phone calls.

If there’s one takeaway, it’s this: most people want to help, but very few actually ask what helps first. Sometimes the difference between intention and impact is just being willing to ask and being willing to do what others won’t.