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Many unhoused individuals rarely take their shoes off, walk often, and don’t always have access to laundry facilities, making clean socks the top requested — yet least donated — item at shelters. Socktober’s mission is to keep feet dry, clean, and warm.

And stepping up to meet UVA Health's strategic plan goal of cultivating healthy communities and belonging for all through an initiative of supporting community engagement and health outcomes — three of our medical centers launched the annual Socktober drive Oct. 1, 2025.

Record Setter

This year's goal at University Medical Center in Charlottesville: collecting 20,000 new pairs. This year's final number is double that goal: 42,311. And almost triple the 2024 University Medical Center tally of 15,780!

"The total number left me speechless!" says Chadwick French, UVA Health, Morrison Healthcare.

"This is not only a historical record for UVA Health, but also a national record for Morrison and Compass Group," says Rebecca Cservek, MS, RD, LDN, Regional Director of Operations, Morrison Healthcare.

Through Nov. 3, 2025 — individual team members dropped off new pairs of socks in Socktober bins at University Medical Center Cafeteria, Wahoo West Café, OR Cafe Lounge, Food and Nutrition Services, Emily Couric Clinical Cancer Center, Good Grain Cafe at Orthopedic Center at Ivy Road, and Cafe at 500 Fontaine.

Department Contest

Other team members rallied their departments! French says the top five donating departments have won catered events; the top three donating departments also earned trophies. The top two winners donated a total of more than 26,000 pairs of new socks.

• Center for Advanced Practice
• Population Health
• Poison Control
• Patient Placement
• Revenue Cycle

"Special shoutout to Joycelyn George from Center for Advanced Practice and Amy Luu of Population Health!" says French. "Their contributions and efforts help drive the overall campaign."

New Challenge: Fill the Bin!

This year: a new challenge called Fill the Bin! Each participating team filled a provided bin as many times as possible with new pairs of socks and made several deliveries to Food and Nutrition Services by Oct. 31. The winners are:

• Center for Advanced Practice
• Population Health
• Poison Control
• Patient Placement
• Revenue Cycle
• 3 North
• PACU
• OPSC
• LAB
• Diagnostic Radiology
• 5 Central
• Endoscopy
• Surgical Care Riverside
• Intervenal Cardiology Research
• Urology Clinic at 500 Fontaine
• OCIR PACU
• Infection Control
• OCIR
• Northridge Internal Medicine
• Specialty Pharmacy
• Nursing Professional Development Services
• Pelvic Medicine Clinic 500 Fontaine

All winners, please email ChadwickFrench@iammorrison.com to coordinate your prize.

"Thank you to all who participated! Your contributions will go a long way to supporting our community," says French.

Cservek says the new pairs of socks will be delivered to The Salvation Army and The Haven.

UVA Community Health

Team members also got into the spirit at UVA Health Prince William Medical Center (above and below), collecting 317 new pairs of socks!

Thecla McPhee, Director, Food and Nutrition Services, UVA Health Prince William Medical Center, says, “We're excited to participate in the systemwide campaign to collect and donate socks to the homeless shelters in our community. This is our second year in a row we have donated to SERVE Family Shelter in Manassas. We look forward to a bigger, even more robust campaign in 2026!”

UVA Health Culpeper Medical Center team members (above) donated 60 new pairs of socks to Culpeper Housing and Shelter Services.

And next year, UVA Health Socktober 2025 will grow, as McPhee says UVA Health Haymarket Medical Center will join the drive.

Thank you to all UVA Health team members who took part in the annual drive, which also supports our strategic plan initiatives of philanthropy and working as One UVA Health Team.