City’s Skyline Receives Aid

“Your mother said to put your socks in the laundry basket,” says the signs at the table for Edmond First’s Sock-a-Thon. Submitted photo.

Skyline Urban Ministry started in 1968 to bring churches and other agencies together to serve the poor and needy in Oklahoma County and beyond. The nonprofit organization serves by offering a free eye clinic, a food resource center, a garden program, a style shop, and a wellness program.

Churches help Skyline by having donation drives for gently used eyeglasses and clothes, plus food, hygiene items, socks, underwear and more. Churches also raise funds and volunteer at Skyline in any of its many ministries.

Eyeglasses Drive

Geary UMC had a visit from Skyline’s director nearly two decades ago, and the congregation was inspired to begin a year-round glasses drive. The United Methodist Women and United Women in Faith are in charge of the project, and they see plenty of support from the church as they collect glasses, frames, and cases.

In addition to the church itself, Geary UMC also collects glasses at its mission thrift store, Angel’s Attic. The group makes deliveries three to four times per year. The church also supports Skyline with clothing donations, paper goods, and volunteerism.

Sock-a-Thon

What started as a fun bit of banter among the members of Edmond First’s Bridge Builders Sunday school class has grown into a “covid hangover cure” and a fun giving opportunity for church members to help those in need keep their feet warm.

Members of Edmond First deliver lots and lots of socks to Skyline. Submitted photo.

Members of the class joked about each other’s happy, fun socks, and then decided to have a contest for the best socks. They began discussing ways to use the fun event to help a mission. Class member Karen Hudgens suggested Skyline Urban Ministry, where she serves on the board of directors.

The church declared August as “Sock-A-Thon 2022 Month,” and set up displays and collection buckets for donations of socks and monetary gifts. The winning class earned a trophy, while the second-place class received a Sock-it-to-me cake. After all the counting was done, the church collected 719 pairs of socks, plus nearly $2,000, which purchased an additional 1,004 pair of socks. The youth also got involved raising another almost $1,000 for camp scholarships.

“It was the perfect event to help us with our church Covid hangover,” said Ron Hobson, member of Edmond First.