As the temperatures drop, those in need around the community will rely on others more and more.

Because of this need from the community and the desire to give back, The Old Gold & Black is working in partnership with the Haven Community Solutions to collect socks to give back to the less fortunate of the Spartanburg area.

Caroline Parker ‘26, visual media editor for The Old Gold & Black, was a key component in getting this drive up and running.

As a member of Greek Life, Campus Union and a number of other organizations, Parker feels the need to give back.

“When I drive to Target in Spartanburg, I see (unhoused) people walking on the street,” Parker said. “I feel like we should be able to give back to the community because Wofford has such an impact on the Spartanburg community.”

The drive, called Socktober, runs all month long, with all of the proceeds benefiting the Haven.

Though Socktober is not a new concept at all, it is new to Wofford and to The Old Gold & Black.

“We have the box outside of DuPre (Residence Hall), in front of the (Publications Room) all month long, and you can donate clean, unused childrens, women’s and men’s socks, and we will donate them to the Haven Community Solutions,” Parker said. “As the temperatures cool down, socks are one of the most used and most needed items for homeless shelters, so I figured being from Wofford where we have a surplus of things, then it would be a good way to get into the community and donate some things.”

Haven’s mission is to provide shelter and supportive services to homeless families through programs that promote sustainable living stability.

The Haven advocates for, creates opportunities for and engages in collaborative locally driven solutions to end homelessness for families and individuals.

The Old Gold & Black wanted to work with Haven because of the impact that newspapers can have on communities.

Our newspaper is not only spread throughout Wofford’s campus, but also downtown Spartanburg. We wanted to bring light to a charity that needs our attention.

“With any newspaper, all we’re trying to do is raise awareness and inform people of different things so I think it’s very easy to fall into the Wofford bubble of (advertising sports and highlighting students and professors),” Parker said. “However, sometimes the bubble is suffocating, and, if we can get people to realize that there’s more outside of just Wofford and Spartanburg, then that would alleviate the bubble feeling. I think this way the community realizes that we want to get ourselves out there and students can realize that there is more than just Wofford.”

As of now, there is not another service project planned for The Old Gold & Black, but Parker is hopeful for more opportunities to serve the greater Spartanburg community. 

The staff of The Old Gold & Black is very honored to work with Haven Community Solutions, and we are very grateful for any and all donations made.