MOUNT PLEASANT, Mich.—McLaren Central Michigan, the leading health care provider in Isabella County, in partnership with its nutritional services vendor, Morrison Healthcare, are spearheading a sock-collection drive for the benefit of Clothing INC and the in-need population of Mount Pleasant.
The drive is part of “Socktober,” a nationwide campaign throughout the month of October that encourages local drives to collect donated socks for community clothing closets, such as Clothing INC, providing free clothes for those who need them.
While Morrison Healthcare has had several of its sites host drives, this is the first year in which McLaren Central Michigan is participating.
To take part in the campaign, generous individuals can bring new socks to the collection box located at the Central Café at McLaren Central Michigan (1221 South Drive).
“While we are a quality health care provider, we also deeply care about our community,” said Robert G. David, McLaren Central Michigan President and CEO. “We see it as a responsibility to look out for our friends and neighbors and their overall well-being. We encourage others to do the same, and we’re proud to take part in this campaign.”
McLaren Central Michigan owes its participation in the campaign to Brianne Charbonneau, director of food and nutrition at McLaren Central Michigan.
“Although food and nutrition is a small department, we have big hearts and love the opportunity to help our community,” Charbonneau said. “We are very excited to be hosting Socktober for the first year and look forward to supporting local families and friends.”
Socks are the most-needed item in homeless shelters, and they are also the least-donated.
With colder weather here, and winter approaching, properly fitted socks can stave off the effects of frostbite, and the warmth they provide can also promote good circulation.
Clothing INC (clothinginc.org), part of The CARE Store, began in the basement of The First Church of the Nazarene but grew with its mission to clothe those in need, expanding into its location at 1114 West High Street.
About McLaren Central Michigan
McLaren Central Michigan is a 118-bed acute care hospital located in Mount Pleasant, Michigan. It offers a full range of health and wellness services including primary care, general surgery, orthopedic surgery, emergency medicine and cancer services. McLaren Central Michigan is recognized as an accessible and dependable source of quality medical care for residents of Mount Pleasant, Isabella County and central Michigan. In addition to its medical staff of over 50 active physicians, it is affiliated with more than 150 other quality providers. The hospital is one of the region’s largest employers, with approximately 550 employees and another 100 volunteers. McLaren Central Michigan received the Governor’s Award of Excellence in 2017 and 2019 and is named as one of the Top 100 Rural & Community Hospitals in the United States by the Chartis Center for Rural Health. It is the only hospital in the central Michigan area to receive a Safety “A” grade in the Hospital Safety report in 2018, 2019 and 2022. To learn more, visit mclaren.org/centralmichigan.
About McLaren Health Care
McLaren Health Care, headquartered in Grand Blanc, Michigan, is a $6 billion, fully integrated health care delivery system committed to quality, evidence-based patient care and cost efficiency. The McLaren system includes 15 hospitals in Michigan and Ohio, ambulatory surgery centers, imaging centers, a 490-member employed primary and specialty care physician network, commercial and Medicaid HMOs covering more than 588,000 lives in Michigan and Indiana, home health, infusion and hospice providers, pharmacy services, a clinical laboratory network and a wholly owned medical malpractice insurance company. McLaren operates Michigan’s largest network of cancer centers and providers, anchored by the Karmanos Cancer Institute, one of only 51 National Cancer Institute-designated comprehensive cancer centers in the U.S. McLaren has 28,000 full-, part-time and contracted employees and more than 90,000 network providers throughout Michigan, Indiana and Ohio. Learn more at mclaren.org.