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Patient & Community Engagement receives 10,000 pairs of socks from Bombas for people in need
The Wright Center for Patient & Community Engagement (PCE) received 10,000 pairs of Bombas socks to distribute to people experiencing homelessness and residents who are going through financial hardship. Participating in the delivery of the donation, from left, are Mary Marrara, co-chair of the PCE Board; Linda Thomas-Hemak, president and CEO of The Wright Centers for Community Health and Graduate Medical Education, and co-chair of the PCE Board; Kara Seitzinger, director of public affairs; Helayna Szescila, deputy chief governance officer; the Rev. Ryan Glenn, pastor of Christ the King and Sacred Hearts of Jesus and Mary, Archbald; and Gerri McAndrew, director of development & relations for community outreach.
The Wright Center for Patient & Community Engagement (PCE) received 10,000 pairs of warm, cozy socks from Bombas to distribute to people experiencing homelessness and hardship throughout the region.
PCE, a subsidiary of The Wright Center for Community Health, focuses on improving access to health care while addressing the negative social and economic determinants of health that affect patients and community members, including food insecurity, homelessness, poverty, and access to education. Throughout the year, PCE hosts clothing giveaways at Wright Center for Community Health locations and community events. Additionally, it hosts regular food distributions, backpack and school supply giveaways, and provides transportation vouchers to patients who have difficulty getting to and from doctors’ appointments.
The socks will be distributed to people experiencing homelessness, as well as residents who are experiencing financial hardship or emergency situations, according to Holly Przasnyski, director of The Wright Center for Patient & Community Engagement.
“We’re thrilled to receive this generous donation from Bombas,” she said. “A pair of socks can be such a comfort.”
Bombas is a comfort-focused, basic apparel brand with a mission to help those in need. The company was originally founded in 2013 because socks are the No. 1 most requested clothing item at homeless shelters. Underwear and T-shirts are No. 2 and No. 3, respectively. While the brand started with and is known for its extremely comfortable socks, Bombas used its expertise in comfort to launch into apparel with T-shirts in 2019 and, most recently, underwear in 2021. For every item purchased, a specially designed item is donated to someone at risk of or currently experiencing homelessness. To date, Bombas has donated over 100 million items.
For more information about PCE, call 570.343.2383, ext. 1444, or visit TheWrightCenter.org/ patient-and-community-engagement.
