Bengy Orwin can’t recall ever visiting the Dandenong Ranges, but when he heard about people suffering after the storm, he immediately wanted to help.
Over 800 pairs of socks have made their way from Caulfield to the hills through 11-year-old Bengy’s charity, Socks4Support.
“They really needed them. Everything is really wet and their shoes and socks are getting soaked,” Bengy said.
“It’s been really hard for them to keep warm,” he said.
While he typically donates to charities, Bengy was overwhelmed by the thought of people freezing in the Dandenongs following the wild storm on Wednesday 9 June.
“David Southwick (Caulfield MP) told me about the situation in the Dandenongs and when I found out I really wanted to help. Socks would really help them,” he said.
The Star Mail understands Mr Southwick has been tasked with delivering the socks to affected Ranges communities.
Bengy started Socks4Support around three and a half years ago, having donated socks to numerous charities, organisations and more recently those in hotel quarantine.
“I was walking home in the cold at night, it was very cold, and I just thought about people that didn’t have clothes to keep them warm. I wanted to do something to help them and wanted to come up with a thing I could collect,” he said.
“I came up with socks because that’s something that’s really important but not many people really think of them as important, and not many people think to donate them,” he said.
With the help of his school, Bengy created his charity and placed donation boxes at Coles and Woolworths shopping centres around Caulfield, where generous human beings donate all kinds of socks.
During his short period as a not-for-profit entrepreneur, Bengy has been lucky enough to get a guided tour of a sock manufacturing company, where he was shown how socks are made and received a generous donation towards his collection.
“I want to get socks to as many people as possible,” Bengy said.
