N.S. woman known as the ‘Queen of Socks’ collects thousands of pairs of socks for local homeless shelters

DARTMOUTH, N.S. –

For the last three years, Mary Crosby has been collecting thousands of pairs of socks to give back to the local shelters to those who need it most.

“If you’re homeless and you’re out walking the streets, what are you going to wear out first? Your socks,” said the 63-year-old who is retired from hospital admin.

Even before her donation efforts, Crosby has been knitting 50 pairs of socks a year for the last 20 years and has been donating them to her local shelters. “When I’m sitting, I’m knitting,” she laughs.

In 2021, she reached out to her small knitting group on Facebook to join in on making donations. The Facebook group “Socks For Shelters” has since grown to more than 700 people with more than 11,000 pairs of socks donated in just two years.

“We’re rooting for 7,000 pairs of socks this year, we’re over 5,000 now and things have really picked up,” added Crosby.

No matter where you look in her home, socks are stacked on her table, in her living room and packed in boxes in her spare bedroom. She has made so many pairs of socks; she has now earned a couple of new nicknames.

“Well the big one is, ‘Mary, Queen of Socks.’ I was labelled that last year and this week somebody on Facebook called me, ‘The Sock Star’. A lot of people in the group get a big kick out of that. I had somebody make me a coffee mug that says, “Mary, Queen of Socks’”.

Crosby says she gives back to her community because her community helped her more than 20 years ago, when she almost became homeless, receiving immediate help from Bryony House, an emergency shelter for women and children in Dartmouth, N.S.

“Their supplies that they had to offer then were always limited so if I can help alleviate that and they can help put their funds somewhere else? All is good,” she added.

Socks are the number one needed item for all shelters with supplies running out in just days.

“I would say we go through hundreds of pairs of socks in a week and that would add up to thousands in a month. Mary has helped Souls Harbour so much, we’re so grateful for her involvement. It just gives our staff and guests a sense of relief, especially with the colder months coming,” said Lauren Goerz with Souls Harbour Rescue Mission in Halifax.

The need only growing larger, as more than 1,000 people are homeless in the Halifax Regional Municipality, compounded by a housing crisis with homeless encampments in many parks and wooded areas including in front of city hall.

“Right now, the state of our cities is a mess. It breaks my heart when you drive around the cities and see tents. People trying to survive and some of these people work but can’t afford an apartment,” said Crosby.

Crosby admits she couldn’t have made all the donations by herself and wants to thank everyone who has reached out and made socks, bought and donated socks and companies who have also made small and large donations in many forms.

“It’s literally overwhelming. When I started, I couldn’t even pick up a donation without crying, I just didn’t expect it to go the way it did. I have three people, my husband and two other people that with delivery and it’s better than Christmas for me,” added Crosby.

Crosby says she will donate socks for as long as she is able to and will make her next donation to Souls Harbour Rescue Mission, Halifax Shelter Society and Bryony House on Dec. 8.