During the COVID epidemic, Elle Gianelli started Socks4Seniors and has continued to spread cheer ever since. During the COVID pandemic, Elle Gianelli wanted to spread cheer to those residing in nursing homes, so she came up with a unique way to accomplish so.
The now-16-year-old started Socks4Seniors, raising money via GoFundMe to buy and deliver cheerful, patterned socks and considerate notes to those in assisted living facilities, with the aim of reaching people in all 50 states, out of her love for wearing silly socks on the golf course. (She has so far covered 40.) The project’s mother, Rachelle, who assists her, says the impact is overwhelming considering the tiny amount of time she invested in it. One pair of socks at a time, “she wants to put a smile on these elders’ faces.”
Early in 2020, Elle and Rachelle went on a field trip to a neighborhood nursing home for an arts and crafts session. According to Rachelle, “the whole world shut down” the following week. “What were those individuals doing, we wondered as we sat there? They are confined to their quarters with no guests or activities. Then it dawned on us to send the socks.”
In Stockton, California, Elle started by scattering packages locally before she and her mother decided to “make a geography lesson out of it,” as Rachelle jokes. They did this by looking up an assisted living facility online in each state, and from there, things just took off.Rachelle adds that Elle maintains contact with some of the seniors she has met and that right now,
“she receives requests from all over the world.” “There is always a need since, regrettably, the local populace changes over time. And despite COVID, we’ve discovered that some seniors never receive visitors. It’s been enlightening and demonstrates how even a small amount of our time can have a big impact.”
Mom and daughter don’t intend to give more than socks, but as their generosity increases, they are looking into other innovative ways to generate money. As a result, Rachelle’s pride in her daughter also increases.
Rachelle explains that Elle “has always been the giving type.” “She just naturally does it that way. I’m very happy.”
