S o c k s o n W h e e l s

I am Gwen-Zoe Yang, aka Gwen Yang. My family call me Zoe, and my friends call me Gwen. Socks on Wheels got jumpstarted when i learned on NPR that the most sought after clothing item among the homeless is the socks. I have always cared about the food-less and the homeless. The seed was probably planted when I was very young visiting my extended family in Malaysia and seeing the beggars at the Buddhist temple in my mom's hometown. When I was in second grade, our girl scout brownie troop visited and dropped off food at Martha's Kitchen, and I remember that experience well. In middle school, I volunteered at the San Jose Vietnamese Seventh Day Adventist Church, a place for the homeless to get hot meals prepared by Loaves & Fishes. It was the most fulfilling experience I had. Sometimes I bake, and my mother and I would drive to an area shelter and drop the baked goods off. I want to do more, and my mother says the best way is to take it one step at a time. I use my allowance to buy socks. This is baby step one.

baby step 1 2-14-2021

delivered banana bread (using mr. silk's amazing recipe) and target's socks to camden community center homefirst temporary shelter for homeless families.

20 pairs of socks delivered.

baby step 2 3-10-21

bought and distributed 20 pairs of target's socks at martha's kitchen.

baby step 3 3-17-21

bought and distributed 20 pairs of new target's socks at martha's kitchen.

baby step 4 3-31-21

bought and distributed 20 pairs of new socks at martha's kitchen.

baby step 5 8-4-21

bought and distributed 20 pairs of new socks (target's) at martha's kitchen.

baby step 6 9-9-21

bought and delivered 20 pairs of new socks (target's) to martha's kitchen.

baby step 7 9-24-21

school's first fall break day: bought and delivered 20 pairs of target's socks to martha's kitchen during lunch service.

baby step 8 12-17-21

After last final, last day of school: bought and delivered 20 pairs of socks to Martha's Kitchen.

baby step 9 1-3-22

Happy 2022! Day before school starts: 20 pairs of socks at Martha's Kitchen during lunch service.

baby step 10 1-17-22

Martin Luther King Jr. Day! 20 pairs of socks at Martha's Kitchen just before lunch service

baby step 11 2-16-22

Winter break! Bought and delivered 20 pairs of Target socks to Martha's Kitchen during dinner service.

baby step 12 2-18-22

Bought and delivered 20 pairs of socks to Martha's Kitchen during lunch service.

baby step 13 5-6-22

Bought and delivered 20 pairs of Target socks to Martha's Kitchen after school today.

baby step 14 6-29-22

Living in Cambridge MA this summer, bought and brought 20 pairs of socks (Target Porter Square) to Y2Y Youth Homeless Shelter in Harvard Square.

baby step 15 7-15-22

Bought and brought 20 pairs of Target socks (Porter Square Target) to Y2Y Youth Homeless Shelter in Harvard Square.

baby step 16 7-26-22

Bought and brought 20 pairs of Target socks to Y2Y Youth Homeless Shelter in Harvard Square.

baby step 17 8-1-22

Bought and delivered 20 pairs of Target socks to Y2Y Youth Homeless Shelter in Harvard Square.

baby step 18 8-6-22

Bought and brought 40 pairs of Target socks to Y2Y Youth Homeless Shelter in Harvard Square. Extra pairs of socks because I earned extra allowance for cleaning the summer sublet apartment before vacating it.

baby step 19 8-17-22

Back in San Jose. Bought and brought 20 pairs of Target socks to Martha's Kitchen in San Jose.

baby step 20 9-27-22

Fall Break Day -- bought and delivered 20 pairs of Target socks to Martha's Kitchen in San Jose.

baby step 21 10-12-22

School Off Day -- bought and delivered 20 pairs of Target socks to Martha's Kitchen in San Jose.

baby step 22 10-28-22

Bought and delivered 20 pairs of Target socks to Martha's Kitchen in San Jose.

baby step 23 11-22-22

Thanksgiving Week: Bought and delivered 20 pairs of Target socks to Martha's Kitchen in San Jose.

baby step 24 12-21-22

Christmas Break: bought and delivered 20 pairs of Target socks to Martha's Kitchen in San Jose.

small step 25 1-16-23

MLK Day! MLK Jr. wrote in the "Letter from Birmingham Jail" in April 1963: “Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere. We are caught in an inescapable network of mutuality, tied in a single garment of destiny. Whatever affects one directly, affects all indirectly.” His words REALLY move and inspire me!

[It's been almost 2 years. SOW has made house chores easier to do. :) It warms my heart every time I imagine the socks have gone on to bring a little warmth to some men and women, young or old. Thanks, mom, for driving me! Thanks for all the photos too! Thanks for listening to me as I brainstorm and figure out possible next steps -- Pop-up dinners in backyard to raise socks? Online or neighborhood (Nextdoor app) sock drive? Mom, thanks for supporting me as I take my small steps!🌷]

small step 26 2-14-23

Winter Break! Dropped off another 20 pairs! Two years ago today, on Valentine's Day, I delivered my first 20 pairs of socks.

As of today, I've delivered 540 pairs of socks.

Knowing the socks have gone on to give warmth to someone is a soothing thought for me, even though i know the need to house and shelter every human is FAR from fulfilled.

Also, i made a Valentine dinner for my parents. Per my parents' request, i cooked them Koay Teow Teng, a popular rice noodle soup dish in Penang, Malaysia, and one of their favorites. It was my first attempt making koay teow teng. :)

Mom, originally from Malaysia, loved the Valentine dinner, said my koay teow teng was "pretty close to authentic" and rewarded me $30 extra allowance this month to buy socks for socks on wheels's 2nd anniversary. :D

small step 27 2-24-23

Bought 20 pairs of Target Good Fellow socks and dropped socks off at Martha's Kitchen. (Used the $30 Sock Fund my parents gave me for cooking them Valentine's dinner on Socks On Wheels's 2nd anniversary :D )

560 pairs of socks so far.

Also, I drafted a letter to CEO and Founder of Bombas, David Heath, inquiring about possible collaboration. Bombas -- a sock and apparel brand -- was launched in 2013 on the mission of donating one pair of socks to homeless shelter for every pair sold. A video about Bombas's mission from the Bombas website

small step 28 3-24-23

Delivered 20 pairs of Goodfellow socks to Martha's Kitchen.

580 pairs of socks so far.

small step 29 4-28-2023

Delivered 20 pairs of Goodfellow socks to Martha's Kitchen.

600 pairs of socks delivered so far.

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