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Wheaton girl gathers 2,000 socks for homeless

Wheaton girl finds joy in gathering socks for Chicago's homeless

Mary Reczek grins as she carefully draws flowers on cardstock, a purple crayon in hand.

Around her lie dozens of other notes she's already completed.

Some feature cheerful doodles, others are adorned with stickers. The messages written on them are simple: You are special. God loves you. Stay warm.

Green and pink strings connect the 8-year-old's creations to pairs of socks she will personally distribute this winter to Chicago's homeless.

“I love seeing them be so happy,” Mary said, her bright blue eyes full of life and hope.

The Wheaton girl recalls being pushed around in a stroller during some of her early visits to people living on the street with Gayle Bloink, an active senior at her church.

It was Christmas Eve the first time they went together. Mary was only 5, but her heart had been touched.

“I felt sad,” she said. “They were hungry, I remember, sort of sad.”

For years, Bloink has dedicated her Saturdays to serving the homeless, packing her car full with dozens of sack lunches that she distributes around the Loop for about five hours with children from Church of the Resurrection in Wheaton.

On their monthly visits together, Mary and Bloink ask those in need if they want to say a prayer. They write the names of the people they meet on a card and bring it home with them so they can continuing praying for everyone when they return to the suburbs.

“They said they cared so much, they were very happy,” Mary said.

Mary has continued making the journey with Bloink about once a month since then. She knows the names of people on the street and they know her.

“You can never miss Lily, she has a blonde wig with a red shower cap,” she said with a giggle.

She lists a few more.

“Sparkles, but she's moving to Florida,” she said. “George is really funny. Lily and Sam are nice.”

Mary's older brothers and other children from church sometimes accompany her, or tag along with Bloink on other days. Her mother, Gabi Reczek, said the lessons they are learning are invaluable.

“It just helps them to look outside themselves,” she said. “(Bloink has) really ignited a passion for the homeless at our church for the kids. She's a servant.”

A few weeks ago, Bloink asked for a donation of 100 pairs of socks. Mary and her mother decided to take on the task. Reczek posted about the need on Facebook and it snowballed.

“People have been sending them in the mail, in packages, and I have 2,022, I think,” Mary said.

Bags of white crew socks are piled on top of black and gray boot socks in the Reczek's dining room. In early November, Mary and Bloink started bringing them to the city.

“We can't fix their big picture problems, but we can at least make sure they have warm, dry feet for the day,” Reczek said. “If your feet get cold and wet, then your whole body is cold. It's not as if homeless people can change their socks. They don't always have extra pairs. They can't just throw them in the dryer.”

More than 300 people donated the socks, some sending in 100 pairs at a time.

“I think what people like about it is (Mary) actually is going and handing them out,” Reczek said. “They're not just making a donation.”

It's likely only 100 pairs can be handed out each week, so the Reczeks stopped their collection, as they have enough to get through the winter.

That doesn't mean they think people should stop being charitable though.

“There's homeless people in Wheaton, too,” Reczek said. “If people could just keep a package of socks in their own car and if you see someone, give it to them. Most homeless people, they're not criminals. They're not dangerous. They're only going to be grateful for you giving them something.”

  Mary Reczek, 8, travels monthly to Chicago to deliver lunches to homeless people and knows many of them by name. Along with the socks she'll give them, she's making cards with messages of love and hope. Paul Michna/pmichna@dailyherald.com
  When a church friend suggested collecting 100 pairs of socks to give to Chicago's homeless, Mary Reczek and her mother put out word of the collection and quickly gathered more than 2,000 pairs that Mary will help distribute this winter. Paul Michna/pmichna@dailyherald.com
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