One of the first pieces of legislation Assemblywoman Carol Murphy was a primary sponsor of was ARJ51, this bill went on to become law and establish every February 14th, “Socks for the Homeless Day”. In honor of “Socks for the Homeless Day”, Assemblywoman Murphy held a month-long drive in partnership with the non-profit the Joy of Sox to collect socks for the homeless in Burlington County.

The drive was successful, and the office was able to collect over 1,500 pairs of socks. The socks will be donated to several organizations within Burlington County including Sisterhood Inc. in Burlington, Christian Caring Center in Browns Mills, Housing Hub of Burlington County and more. The Housing Hub of Burlington County will provide the socks to their code blue case managers and outreach teams, so the socks get directly into the hands of those in need. The Assemblywoman chose these specific organizations after recommendations from community members.

Assemblywoman Murphy would like to thank all of those who donated to the drive. Her office received donations from The Porch Club of Riverton, The Muslim Federation of South Jersey, The Women’s Opportunity Center, Chamber of Commerce Southern New Jersey and many individual donors.

“I’m grateful that the Burlington County community could come together on this. We have had a harsh winter so far and I want to ensure those who are struggling to find shelter, may find some comfort in these socks.” Assemblywoman Murphy stated. She emphasized the importance of recognizing the homelessness issue in New Jersey. “Homelessness is a problem in Burlington County, it is not just a big city issue. There are over 8,000 people in emergency shelters or transitional housing right now in New Jersey. I am committed to working with organizations in my district to ensure we can help as many people as we can to find shelter and work towards permanent housing.”