Raising Money to Help the Homeless

The Change of Pace 5K run/walk is a charity event, so fundraising has been a part of the challenge for Michelle Lincoln and her friends, James Biagioni, and Christina and David Richter.

Lincoln said the primary focus has been building corporate sponsorships to cover the costs of the event. That way, she said, the runners’ registration fees go straight to the charity, KNO Clothing (knoclothing.com), an ethical clothing company dedicated to clothing and housing the homeless in more than 150 communities.

Runners also have the option of raising additional funding for the charity, “but we don’t push that too much,” she said.

While they’re not certain how much money they expect to raise, Lincoln said the entire goal is to clothe the homeless. KNO Clothing has a motto to “buy one, give more,” and does that giving primarily through sock donations.

If that sounds a little odd, Lincoln said the company has done its homework in terms of researching the clothing needs of the homeless, largely through surveys. The most-listed needs: Socks and underwear.

Underwear has issues — sizing and the awkwardness that can come with distribution. Socks, on the other hand, offer a nearly one-size-fits-all approach and are much easier to distribute.

“Honestly, that was one of the things I thought was kind of funny when we started working with (KNO Clothing) — it seems like such a small thing, but it’s something nobody every donates,” she said of the socks. “You’d give away an old coat, but old socks you’d never think about.

“And if your feet are warm, the rest of you is warm,” she continued.

The distribution, she added, will come at a time of year when they’re appreciated. Summer is nearly over and chilly weather will be setting in soon.

KNO Clothing is coming out for the event, Lincoln said. “We’ll use all the money from the race to purchase socks, and then we’ll head out Sunday, the day after the race, and actually hand them out to the people in need in Chicago.”

One reason she chose to pursue KNO Clothing as a partner in the venture is it is a company that’s not interested in just throwing money at a problem like homelessness. “They’re getting their hands dirty,” she said. “It’s very tangible … you can see exactly where your money is going, which I think sometimes is rare with nonprofits. It sometimes feels like it gets lost in the ether of administration costs.”

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