The origins of many family holiday traditions fade with time, but for Darnel Tasker and her daughter Zoey Gomez, the memory of when theirs began is crystal clear.
In 2020, during the COVID-19 pandemic, the mother-daughter duo started an annual tradition of biking around San Francisco and handing out new socks to people living on the streets.
Tasker learned that clean, dry socks are one of the most needed items among people experiencing homelessness.
“We were just thinking about how to make Christmas special because it was a really hard time,” Tasker said.
At just seven years old, Zoey suggested they cheer themselves up by spreading joy to others.
“I like seeing the smile that it brings to people,” Gomez said. “I like helping other people a lot.”
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At the time, neither of them realized they were starting a tradition that would grow year after year. It wasn't until the following holiday season that their act of kindness began to gain traction.
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“One of my clients said, ‘I want to donate socks.’ And I thought, OK, well, I guess we'll do it again. Then a couple of other people donated, and we went out,” Tasker said.
This year marks the fifth anniversary of what the pair now call their “Cozy Toe Sock Sprinkle.”
“It makes me a little emotional, actually, because I think it's super special and I never had that intention when we did this,” Tasker said.
