Many of us do our best to donate our gently-used clothes to organizations like Goodwill or the Salvation Army, but think back for a moment to the last batch of things you gave away.  How many socks did you part ways with?

Generally, we throw away our socks when they've been worn a few too many times; they're threadbare, they're falling apart, they wouldn't do anyone any good... right?  But for the homeless population that depends on donated clothing to stay warm in the winter and safe from other elements in the warmer months, socks are actually kind of a big deal.  That's why Tom Costello Jr., a professor at a Philadelphia-area college, founded The Joy of Sox, an organization that hosts sock drives through schools, places of worship and other groups of people who want to make a difference.  In its first year alone, the Joy of Sox gave away more than 100,000 pairs, and those efforts have continued their onward march ever since.  The group now has "sock drawers" in eight states throughout the U.S.

On Veterans' Day, we couldn't think of a more appropriate time to spread the word about a thoughtful organization doing something great for folks who don't have the same luxuries the rest of us do -- particularly when many of them have served in the military and come home to less-than-ideal conditions.  With the Department of Veteran's Affairs estimating that more than 75,000 veterans experience homelessness on any given night, we thought we'd tip our hats, raise a salute and promote a cause close to their hearts... and ours.

Click here to learn more, make a donation, or learn how to host a sock drive of your own.