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.
Three women diagnosed with HIV after getting 'vampire facial' procedures at an unlicensed medical spa are believed to be the first documented cases of people contracting the virus through a cosmetic procedure using needles.
All 79 locations of pharmacy and retail chain London Drugs are shut down Sunday, and there is no estimate on when they will be back open.
One person was killed in a six-vehicle crash on Highway 400 in Innisfil Friday evening.
Ontario is introducing a suite of measures that will crack down on cellphone use and vaping in schools.
Rookie goalie Arturs Silovs will start in net for the Vancouver Canucks when they face the Nashville Predators in Game 4 of their first-round playoff series Sunday.
U.S. intelligence officials have determined that Russian President Vladimir Putin likely didn't order the death of imprisoned opposition leader Alexei Navalny in February, according to an official familiar with the determination.
Tornadoes killed four people in Oklahoma and left thousands without power Sunday after a destructive outbreak of severe weather flattened buildings in the heart of one rural town.
One person has been charged with second-degree murder in connection with the death of a man who fell from a balcony following an altercation inside a Toronto apartment building.
The Canadian Food Inspection Agency has issued a recall for a specific chocolate brand sold in Ontario and Quebec.
Police in Oak Bay, B.C., had to close a stretch of road Sunday to help an elephant seal named Emerson get safely back into the water.
Captain Sophie de Goede scored 18 points, including two tries, as Canada thumped the U.S. 50-7 Sunday in the opening match of Pacific Four Series rugby tournament.
Actor and activist Elliot Page offered a parent some guidance and blasted the Alberta government Sunday at the Calgary Comic and Entertainment Expo.
All 79 locations of pharmacy and retail chain London Drugs are shut down Sunday, and there is no estimate on when they will be back open.
One person was killed in a six-vehicle crash on Highway 400 in Innisfil Friday evening.
Raneem, 10, lives with a neurological condition and liver disease and needs Cholbam, a medication, for a longer and healthier life.
Tornadoes killed four people in Oklahoma and left thousands without power Sunday after a destructive outbreak of severe weather flattened buildings in the heart of one rural town.
Prince Harry and his wife Meghan will visit Nigeria in May for talks on the Invictus Games, which he founded to aid the rehabilitation of wounded and sick servicemembers and veterans, a Nigerian official said Sunday.
U.S. intelligence officials have determined that Russian President Vladimir Putin likely didn't order the death of imprisoned opposition leader Alexei Navalny in February, according to an official familiar with the determination.
A teenage gunman wounded 10 people when he opened fire early Sunday after fighting broke out during a private event at a Florida party venue, authorities said.
Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida's governing party, stung by an extensive slush funds scandal, appeared to have lost all three seats in Sunday's parliamentary byelections, according to media exit polls and preliminary results.
Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi arrived in Cambodia on Sunday for a three-day official visit to reaffirm ties with Beijing’s closest ally in Southeast Asia. His visit is the last stop on a three-nation regional swing that also took him to Indonesia and Papua New Guinea.
Ontario is introducing a suite of measures that will crack down on cellphone use and vaping in schools.
Trudeau recently appeared on four podcasts as he travels the country talking up the Liberals' latest budget, which he's pitching as a plan to inject more economic fairness into society for those under 40 — a cohort that has kept Trudeau in power since 2015 but is increasingly turning to Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre.
Quebec is investing $603 million over the next five years to counter what its French-language minister describes as the decline of the French language in the province.
Three women diagnosed with HIV after getting 'vampire facial' procedures at an unlicensed medical spa are believed to be the first documented cases of people contracting the virus through a cosmetic procedure using needles.
The Canadian Food Inspection Agency has issued a recall for a specific chocolate brand sold in Ontario and Quebec.
The number of measles cases around the world nearly doubled from 2022 to 2023, researchers say, presenting a challenge to efforts to achieve and maintain elimination status in many countries.
Anyone who has a Gen-Z person in their life is likely familiar with the popular social media app TikTok, but a new bill in the U.S. may soon take it off of the American market.
State-sponsored actors targeted security devices used by governments around the world, according to technology firm Cisco Systems, which said the network devices are coveted intrusion points by spies.
TikTok is in the crosshairs of authorities in the U.S., where a new law threatens a nationwide ban unless its China-based parent ByteDance divests. Here are the places that have partial or total bans on TikTok.
Actor and activist Elliot Page offered a parent some guidance and blasted the Alberta government Sunday at the Calgary Comic and Entertainment Expo.
Quebec singing star and cultural icon Jean-Pierre Ferland died on Saturday at the age of 89.
Morgan Freeman spoke the words, but pretty much everyone who took the stage at the presentation of the AFI Life Achievement Award agreed: "Nicole Kidman. She makes movies better."
All 79 locations of pharmacy and retail chain London Drugs are shut down Sunday, and there is no estimate on when they will be back open.
The rise of remote and hybrid work has made it harder to justify a full office, so more are leaning on co-working spaces that they share with many others for convenience and cost savings. The choice, however, comes at the expense of privacy and control.
The 2024 federal budget announced on April 16 included plans to introduce 'halal mortgages' as a way to increase access to home ownership.
Employees increasingly find that robust workplace volunteer programs meet their desires for in-person connections, professional growth and altruistically inclined employers — career objectives that might be missing in conventional corporate atmospheres.
Take an illustrated look back at the culinary history of Winnipeg.
An idyllic 453-acre private island is up for sale off the west coast of Scotland and it comes with sandy beaches, puffins galore, seven houses, a pub, a helipad and a flock of black-faced sheep.
Captain Sophie de Goede scored 18 points, including two tries, as Canada thumped the U.S. 50-7 Sunday in the opening match of Pacific Four Series rugby tournament.
Three-time WNBA champion and two-time Olympic gold medalist Candace Parker announced on social media that her career was over on Sunday after 16 seasons.
Maple Leafs centre Auston Matthews has been sidelined by a "lingering illness" as Toronto stares down playoff elimination.
An Ontario man who took out a loan to pay for auto repairs said his car was repossessed after he missed two payments.
Ford’s electric vehicle unit reported that losses soared in the first quarter to US $1.3 billion, or US$132,000 for each of the 10,000 vehicles it sold in the first three months of the year.
Honda is set to build an electric vehicle battery plant next to its Alliston, Ont., assembly plant, which it is retooling to produce fully electric vehicles, all part of a $15-billion project that is expected to include up to $5 billion in public money.
The lawyer for a residential school survivor leading a proposed class-action defamation lawsuit against the Catholic Church over residential schools says the court action is a last resort.
Raneem, 10, lives with a neurological condition and liver disease and needs Cholbam, a medication, for a longer and healthier life.
As if a 4-0 Edmonton Oilers lead in Game 1 of their playoff series with the Los Angeles Kings wasn't good enough, what was announced at Rogers Place during the next TV timeout nearly blew the roof off the downtown arena.
Mounties in Nanaimo, B.C., say two late-night revellers are lucky their allegedly drunken antics weren't reported to police after security cameras captured the men trying to steal a heavy sign from a downtown business.
A property tax bill is perplexing a small townhouse community in Fergus, Ont.
When identical twin sisters Kim and Michelle Krezonoski were invited to compete against some of the world’s most elite female runners at last week’s Boston Marathon, they were in disbelief.
The giant stone statues guarding the Lions Gate Bridge have been dressed in custom Vancouver Canucks jerseys as the NHL playoffs get underway.
A local Oilers fan is hoping to see his team cut through the postseason, so he can cut his hair.
A family from Laval, Que. is looking for answers... and their father's body. He died on vacation in Cuba and authorities sent someone else's body back to Canada.
All 79 locations of pharmacy and retail chain London Drugs are shut down Sunday, and there is no estimate on when they will be back open.
Police in Oak Bay, B.C., had to close a stretch of road Sunday to help an elephant seal named Emerson get safely back into the water.
Punjabi music star Diljit Dosanjh took the stage in front of more than 54,000 fans at BC Place on Saturday, making history by doing so.
Ontario is introducing a suite of measures that will crack down on cellphone use and vaping in schools.
Maple Leafs centre Auston Matthews has been sidelined by a "lingering illness" as Toronto stares down playoff elimination.
The Canadian Food Inspection Agency has issued a recall for a specific chocolate brand sold in Ontario and Quebec.
Actor and activist Elliot Page offered a parent some guidance and blasted the Alberta government Sunday at the Calgary Comic and Entertainment Expo.
About 300 people laced up their runners and tackled the McHugh Bluff staircase to help bring an end to homelessness in Calgary.
Calgary police are investigating after a hit-and-run Saturday afternoon in Bridgeland that left a pedestrian hospitalized with serious, life-altering injuries.
While food banks across Ontario continue to experience a surge in use, one Ottawa community group is working to fight food insecurity. The Food for All Ottawa Facebook page has been bringing in 150 to 200 new members a month, connecting food donors directly with people in need.
Ontario is introducing a suite of measures that will crack down on cellphone use and vaping in schools.
Canadians across the country paused on Sunday to remember workers who have been injured or killed on the job for the National Day of Mourning.
Quebec is investing $603 million over the next five years to counter what its French-language minister describes as the decline of the French language in the province.
Hundreds of students are still camping out on McGill's University's campus this weekend in solidarity with Palestinians in Gaza.
Quebecers could soon see more homegrown content on streaming services like Netflix and Disney+. The provincial government announced that it plans to introduce a new bill within the next year to force online streaming giants to add more made-in-Quebec media on their platforms.
A man is dead after he reportedly lost control of his motorcycle in Strathcona County Saturday night.
A woman was killed after crashing into a water truck near the Fort McMurray International Airport Saturday morning.
An Edmonton man spent his birthday Sunday pushing himself to the limit to try and help others.
Anyone who has a Gen-Z person in their life is likely familiar with the popular social media app TikTok, but a new bill in the U.S. may soon take it off of the American market.
Dozens of people across Nova Scotia came together at Province House on Sunday for National Day of Mourning, an annual day that remembers those who have died of or were injured because of a workplace accident.
Over 150 residents flocked to Rockwood Park in Saint John on Sunday to pay their respects on the National Day of Mourning, which honours workers who have been killed or have suffered a workplace related injury while on the job.
The trial for the man accused of killing four Indigenous women in Winnipeg is set to get underway on April 29.
The Jets will look to avoid elimination in Game 5 on Tuesday night at Canada Life Centre.
A Winnipeg-based non-profit organization is hoping to tackle chronic homelessness in the city with a newly launched housing strategy.
The Regina Rebels made history over the weekend — taking home gold for the first time ever at the U-18 women's hockey national championships.
Regina's fire service is investigating following a significant house fire in the North Central area.
'Feel through the Deepness to see,' an art installation by artist Rita McKeough, will be calling the Dunlop Art Gallery home for the next two months.
Waterloo Region residents, workplace safety advocates, and politicians all gathered at the Worker’s Monument in Cambridge’s Riverside Park for the National Day of Mourning.
A ransom for a stolen laptop, a parking dispute at a Kitchener apartment building, and a five-cent property tax bill round out the most-read stories of the week.
Waterloo Regional Police have charged two teens in connection to a Kitchener robbery.
Workers at group homes run by LutherCare Communities in Saskatoon are escalating their strike action.
On Saturday, in a display of cross-cultural solidarity, members of the Indigenous and Palestinian communities gathered in Saskatoon for an event steeped in prayer and dance.
The Saskatoon Police Service (SPS) and Saskatchewan Coroners Service are investigating after a woman’s body was found at a recycling facility Friday morning.
Environment Canada has issued special weather statements warning of freezing or heavy rain from Chapleau, Ont. to Sturgeon Lake, Ont.
Ontario is introducing a suite of measures that will crack down on cellphone use and vaping in schools.
Impaired drivers recently kept a northern Ontario Provincial Police detachment busy this weekend. The Temiskaming detachment charged three people with impaired driving in only 13 hours.
Ontario is introducing a suite of measures that will crack down on cellphone use and vaping in schools.
The London Knights have taken a 2-0 series lead on the Saginaw Spirit in the OHL Western Conference Final after a 3-1 win Sunday. The 10-0 start to the playoffs is the best in franchise history during the internet era.
It’s been 25 years since Kevin Jones was injured while employed at a factory building transport trailers. 'There was repetitive strain, motion muscles, skeletal tearing, and nerve pain in my neck, shoulders and upper back,' explained Jones, 51, of London, Ont.
One person was killed in a six-vehicle crash on Highway 400 in Innisfil Friday evening.
Police and search and rescue crews in Gravenhurst are trying to locate a man after reports of a possible drowning.
The Barrie SPCA is taking inspiration from a traditional baby shower with its latest event this weekend to prepare for an influx of cats this summer.
Ontario is introducing a suite of measures that will crack down on cellphone use and vaping in schools.
Since 2014, the Rotary Club of LaSalle Centennial has been holding its annual Big Hats and High Tea Social. The fundraising event returned Sunday at the Essex Golf and Country Club.
Rain couldn't stop an annual charity 5K run from taking place in Lakeshore this weekend. In fact, running in the rain has practically become a tradition at this point.
Police in Oak Bay, B.C., had to close a stretch of road Sunday to help an elephant seal named Emerson get safely back into the water.
All 79 locations of pharmacy and retail chain London Drugs are shut down Sunday, and there is no estimate on when they will be back open.
Rookie goalie Arturs Silovs will start in net for the Vancouver Canucks when they face the Nashville Predators in Game 4 of their first-round playoff series Sunday.
Out of more than 9,000 entries from over 2,000 breweries in 50 countries, a handful of B.C. brews landed on the podium at the World Beer Cup this week.
An emaciated dachshund is now recovering thanks to a Good Samaritan who found the pup near a biking trail in Kelowna, according to the BC SPCA.
Search and rescue crews have been called in after a vehicle belonging to a missing senior was located near a rural intersection outside of Kelowna Tuesday.
The Brooks Bandits got down to business Friday, defeating the Okotoks Oilers 8-2.
An Alberta political scientist said the NDP leadership hopefuls remained fairly even following the first of the party’s debates.
It was a busy Wednesday evening for fire crews in Lethbridge County after multiple grass fires were sparked near the Kipp rail yard.
Greater Sudbury marked the Day of Mourning with ceremony at Laurentian University on Sunday to honour lives lost in workplace accidents and occupational illnesses. The event included guest speakers like Celine Quenneville, whose husband died last year from cancer the family said they believe was caused from diesel exposure on the job.
St. Joseph’s General Hospital Elliot Lake says it is moving towards “normalcy” by transitioning to a mask-friendly policy.
Environment Canada has issued special weather statements warning of freezing or heavy rain from Chapleau, Ont. to Sturgeon Lake, Ont.
Legendary sportscaster Bob Cole was a Newfoundlander through and through, and his daughter says his connection to the province was 'everything' to him.
Cenovus Energy has been ordered to pay a $2.5-million fine for its role in the largest offshore oil spill ever recorded in Newfoundland and Labrador.
As more Canadians find themselves struggling to afford or find housing, the country's smallest province is the only one that can point to legislation recognizing housing as a human right.
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