MONROE, CT — The Rotary Club of Monroe ended 2022 with a generous donation to the town, as well as collecting over 1,500 pairs of socks to warm the feet of those in need.
Town rotarians presented a $9,622 check to the town during a Town Council meeting on Dec. 12 to benefit the Monroe Senior Center, Project Warmth and the Monroe Food Pantry.
The senior center will receive $7,747 for numerous items, such as a picnic table, umbrella and a grill. The center will also receive a fire pit.
Project Warmth, a town program providing fuel assistance for town families in need of assistance, will receive $1,000.
The rest of the money will help feed families who are clients of the Monroe Food Pantry.
Soctober
The Rotary Club’s annual Soctober drive collected 542 new pairs of men, women and children’s socks to warm the feet of clients of Homes for the Brave, which helps homeless veterans, The Center for Family Justice and the Bridgeport Rescue Mission.
The club made a matching donation and Ocean State Job Lot pitched in with another 500 pairs for a total haul of 1,582 pairs of socks.
Molly Simons-Smith, of Monroe, came up with the idea for the annual sock collection drive a few years ago and several local businesses keep collection boxes, with some offering deals for customers who donate.
Among the new businesses, schools and organizations that participated were Endangered Studio Tattoos, Benedict’s Home and Garden, Monroe Social, Last Drop Coffee Shop, Masuk High School and The United Methodist Church of Monroe.
