Homeless people are still people. Homeless people are still deserving of all the quantities we obtain. Homeless people are not repulsive and should not be thought of as disgusting. They are not the scum of the earth.  The homeless community often gets backs turned on them towards the action of personal care, and is left with nothing. With homelessness on the rise in several major cities, further actions need to be taken to improve the health and hygiene of homeless people.

Being homeless comes with its struggles. It is not bumming around the street all day, walking leisurely throughout the day. It is a day to day struggle against hunger, disease, and shelter. Without access to proper healthcare and basic sanitary needs, the battle against diseases grows harder and harder every day. In the case of people living on the streets, diseases are often more severe due to poverty, paired with improbable reliance on our healthcare system, and add on the strain that homelessness itself carries(Hwang,2001). When we catch a cough, we go to our cabinet and grab some cough syrup. If we are out, we usually run to the drugstore and buy another remedy without hesitation. When it comes to those struck by poverty, a harmless cough to us, can lead to severe complications or other pulmonary diseases. Getting up and asking for help is not so easy either. When we have a hygienic issue, the first thing we turn to is not usually a major organization of people much wealthier than us. Charity groups are great; however, they can be lead homeless people to feel embarrassed and not want to ask for help on their personal hygienic issues. It’s simple-homeless people are often embarrassed or ashamed to reach out and try to get help with sanitation issues(Papp-Mlodzienski,2017). Most of the time, as we ourselves would be as well. It is understandable as to why homeless people are embarrassed to come and ask for help. If we had a growing and painful lump on our feet, the last thing we would want to do is confess it to a group of strangers. There needs to be a change, homeless people need access to basic sanitation care. Because homeless people are still people.

Although a life altering change for the homeless community, it is something we usually do not think about all day.

We mismatch them, loose them, and then buy another pack of ten.
They protect us much more than we know, and we still take them for granted.
Socks. A small answer to a major crisis. No, socks will not solve hunger or prevent tuberculosis. They will not provide shelter, nor will they provide reliance on the health care system. But they do more than we think. As we overlook socks as a day to day item, “social advocates have little faith in socks, they often overlook them” as well(Chapin,2015). Social advocates have little faith in socks due to misrecognition of socks. Socks -miscellaneous and insignificant to us- have a world altering impact to homeless people. The feet of homeless people-like any other part of a homeless person's life- are more susceptible to disease and infection. Without access to proper foot care, “foot disorders such as onychomycosis, tinea pedis, and immersion foot” are often common in the homeless community(Hwang,2001). We would not want any of these infections, and if we contracted them, we would most likely go to our doctor and find the solution. But just as in many other cases, homeless people do not have this privilege.

Socks are also not thought of as the thing we need most. The majority of items donated to those less fortunate are the big things, such as shirts, pants, and shoes, but socks are the most needed item(Papp-Mlodzienski,2017). Donating shirts and other items are a necessity, but socks at this point are the most requested item, yet still the least donated(Papp-Mlodzienski,2017). Homeless people walk long distances on their feet, and lack proper foot care, leading to extreme discomfort and eventual permanent foot damage. Socks are the simple solution to a problem larger than us. As we need our socks, so do homeless people. Because homeless people are still people.

As we need to cherish and take care of our feet, so do homeless people. We only get one pair of feet, as do homeless people. The change starts with us, we must recognize the vitality of socks and all their potential. If more socks were donated to homeless shelters, or if sock drives were organized, the difference would be life changing to those who need it. Socks have the power to get homeless people back on their feet, and deserve their full recognition. Without proper foot care, we would all be in a world of hurt, as the homeless community is right now. Because just like us, homeless people are still people.