I have yet to have a person that lives on the street refuse a clean pair of socks. People that are homeless tend to walk a lot. Also, when it rains their clothes,shoes and socks often get wet. It is for these reasons that a ministry that provides socks and shoes to the homeless is a great idea.
Socks can be new or used (freshly washed). They don’t need to be expensive. Keep in mind that a homeless person does not have a washer and dryer so the socks may be discarded after a few days.
Shoes are also a must. Getting the correct size is the problem. Size 8 – 12 is common. Basic used tennis shoes or sneakers are fine. Garage sales, thrift stores or flea markets are good places to look. You should be able to pick them up for a few dollars a pair. If you get canvas shoes you can run them through the wash. Otherwise you can use Lysol to disinfect them before giving them to someone.
This would be a great ministry for a group of people that wanted to pool their resources and collect shoes and socks. If this works out then you can always move into a clothing ministry as well.