THUNDER BAY -- Before a few weeks ago Lauren Barch didn’t know that new socks and underwear are luxuries that many children in the city don’t enjoy.
Once the 16-year-old learned that as many as 2,000 Thunder Bay kids don’t have an adequate supply of what can be overlooked necessities, she knew she had to help.
Lauren, along with her Grade 11 Sir Winston Churchill Collegiate and Vocational Institute international baccalaureate classmate Brooke Macaulay, teamed up to start a socks and underwear drive to benefit the Community Clothing Assistance’s annual Undercover Project.
In just a week and a half the duo were able to raise 559 new pairs of socks and underwear, collecting donations from their classmates and Lauren’s teammates on the Thunder Bay Thunderbolts swim club.
“I didn’t even think of it because they’re common items that get taken for granted,” she said.
“Hearing this and doing this just made me say wow and realize people don’t have these things. I wanted to help them so I did.”
The two girls, along with IB program coordinator Clarke Loney, dropped off the collection at the Community Clothing Assistance’s May Street distribution centre on Monday morning.
Ewa Gulbinowicz, executive director of Community Clothing Assistance, was overwhelmed by the donations.
“It’s beautiful. It’s shocking seeing such a good gift for other kids,” she said.
The campaign has been running for the past few years with the goal of providing children in need with at least a one week’s supply of the basic staples.
While socks and underwear are often overlooked, they can often make a significant impact in a child’s life.
In the winter especially it is difficult to not have the bare necessities.
“These are very crucial pieces of clothing,” Gulbinowicz said. “If kids only have one pair of socks and if it’s very wet what are the kids to do with only one pair of socks?”
Lauren was inspired by her mother, an elementary school teacher, who challenged her class to make a positive change in the world.
She hopes it becomes an annual tradition at her high school.
“This is the first year we’ve done it,” she said. “I think it’s a great thing to do for people.”
