Last year, while touring colleges with his friend, Belmont resident Brock Maniatis was inspired by the need he saw in people living on the street.
“I’m required to do service [for school], but it’s very minimal,” said Maniatis, 17. “It’s only like 20 hours. I was like, “I want to make a bigger difference.””
After calling around to Boston-area shelters and related organizations, Maniatis quickly learned that socks were among the top needs.
So, this past summer, he founded the nonprofit Project Socks, a 501-c3 with the “simple goal of getting socks to people in need across the Greater Boston community.”
In a matter of months, Maniatis collected 2,268 pairs of socks and raised $2,800 to buy new socks. His first deliveries included 1,264 pairs to five area shelters and an additional 300 pairs to Healthcare for Homeless Veterans in West Roxbury.
“Everyone is so grateful,” he said, recalling people’s reaction to his deliveries. “The people that work at the shelters, they’re like, yeah, we have a huge need for this.”
Though he attends Catholic Memorial High School in West Roxbury, Maniatis is a lifelong resident of Belmont. He attended Winn Brook Elementary School and Chenery through sixth grade.
According to Maniatis, 100% of the money collected, minus PayPal fees, goes toward buying new socks. Any expenses, including gas, come out of his pocket, he said. Socks are stored in a spare bedroom in his family’s house and he oversees all donation and delivery tracking.
“I am also partnering with local businesses every month to solicit donations,” he said. “I formed my first partnership in December with Ailish and Aston Salons in Waltham and we collected 136 pairs of socks and $140.”
Ultimately, Maniatis hopes to deliver up to 10,000 pairs of socks to organizations that can help distribute them to the people who need them.
“Anyone that wants to make an impact can,” he said. “Not everyone has to start a nonprofit. Anyone can go out and do a good thing for someone else in need. It doesn’t matter how big or small the need is. Everyone can do it.
For more information on how to donate, visit projectsocks.org/.
