Pelham Bay youth helps Bronx homeless with sock drive
Michael Martire with the thousands of pairs
of socks he collected from the community to
donate to the homeless.
Photo courtesy of Martire family
BY PATRICK ROCCHIO
Michael Martire, a 17-year-old youth
from Pelham Bay, collected 2,127 pairs
of socks from several local community
resources which he in turn donated to
the borough intake center for homeless
families on Thursday, April 30.
Martire collected the socks as part
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(l-r) Cassandra White, DHS associate commissioner of family intake; Michael Martire; and
Karen Ford DHS deputy commissioner of family services are pictured when Martire visited
the PATH homeless intake center in Melrose recently to donate more than 2,000 pairs of
socks he collected for the homeless. Photo courtesy of Martire family
of a junior-year high school service
project for Iona Prep, with much of the
sock haul coming from his former elementary
school, Villa Maria Academy,
as well as Our Lady of Assumption
parish and Calvary Hospital, he said.
“I decided to do a sock drive because
it is the most requested item at
homeless shelters, and also the least
donated,” said Martire.
Martire said that he called on his
extended family to spread the word
about his sock collection.
At his school, he raffl ed off some
Duke University logo athletics socks
during ‘March Madness’ over the public
address system to encourage his
classmates to donate.
All of this hard work culminated
in a visit to the Prevention Assistance
and Temporary Housing Offi ce intake
center, located in Melrose, where he donated
the treasure trove of footwear.
At the PATH center, Martire said
that he met with leadership and got to
see some of the facility.
“It certainly was an eye opening experience,”
said Martire.
A NYC Department of Homeless
Services spokesperson, Arianna Fishman,
stated that Martire is one of
many community members showing
their compassion and dedicating time
and talent to helping their neighbors
get back on their feet.
“Homelessness is a citywide challenge
requiring a citywide solution,
and we encourage communities across
the fi ve boroughs to follow this young
leader’s example and join us in supporting
families and adults experiencing
homelessness, by volunteering or
donating, just like Mr. Martire,” said
the DHS spokeswoman.
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