On the bike ride down Main Avenue en route to school, 15-year-old Alix Gillen noticed homeless people everywhere. It was just before Christmas, and a philanthropic Gillen thought the holidays might not be so warm for the transients enduring the winter cold.
“I felt sympathy for them because they don’t have families to take care of them like I do,” Gillen said. “So I thought I would get big, thick socks for them. It’s just something to keep them warm during the winter.”
Without a job, Gillen had no way to pay for the socks, so she hit Main Avenue for two days holding a giant sign proclaiming, “New socks make homeless toes happy and healthy; please donate.” The first day, she made $20. The second day, she collected $80.
“Most of them would look at the sign, smile and walk away,” she said. “Others were hesitant to give. This one guy gave me $5, but he said he wasn’t totally sure I would go through with it and not just keep the money for myself.”
His skepticism prompted Gillen to videotape the handouts – a task assigned to her younger sister, Andi.
Inspired by her mother, who helped Gillen “build the courage” to solicit donations and approach strangers, Gillen bought between 30 and 40 pairs of socks, and has given out more than half to date. “When I give them the socks, they ask if I have money,” she said. “I say, ‘no, but I have these socks,’ and their faces light up. They’re so thankful for them.”
Their stories stick with Gillen.
A woman named Tink, one of Gillen’s sock recipients, has been homeless five years after breaking her back on the job as a nurse, she told Gillen. “That put her in disability, and she could never get back on her feet,” Gillen said.
In October, Gillen’s mother told her she had to “do something productive” because she did not try out for basketball this year.
So Gillen created a YouTube channel, which she has used since December to keep her 53 subscribers updated on her humanitarian sock mission.
“I thought it would be a great inspirational video,” Gillen said. “It shows even a 15-year-old can help.”
jpace@durangoherald.com
