Columnist Susan Snyder: Sock issue reminds of growing needs

Tuesday, Aug. 16, 2005 | 8:14 a.m.

It's hard to imagine that a pair of socks would end up being the barrier between a homeless child and her dinner.

In a story published in Sunday's Las Vegas Sun, reporter Timothy Pratt detailed the frustrating fiery hoops through which homeless women with children must jump to obtain assistance from an over-burdened social service system. (Go dig the paper out of the recycling bin and read it, if you didn't get the chance.)

The story included Angela Dima, a young mother of two girls ages 4 years and 18 months. Dima described how in July she and her children were shown to a bunk at Shade Tree, the valley's only long-term shelter for women.

Dima said an employee asked what she was doing there, then told the mother that the girls could not eat unless they had socks. When Dima told the worker she had none for them, the worker repeated the rule, Pratt's story reports. Frustrated, the mother and children left.

Now, being among the thousands of people who have given clothing and other items to events to benefit Shade Tree, I wondered why someone couldn't have found a couple of pairs of socks so those kids could eat.

So Monday morning I called Brenda Dizon, Shade Tree director.

"We have barrels of socks," she said. "On average, we give out over 100 pairs of socks a month."

But Dizon couldn't comment on whether Dima's children were offered any because that would violate the confidentiality rules under which she operates.

"If I did, people wouldn't think we were trustworthy and wouldn't come to us," Dizon said. "And that would be worse" than sharing Shade Tree's side.

The nonprofit's new shelter has 164 emergency beds for short-term stays, 120 beds for long-term transition clients and 32 beds in its day shelter. It serves two breakfasts and two lunches daily eight months of the year, but no dinners. Shade Tree clients eat dinner at Catholic Charities, as they always have.

And Catholic Charities' dinner rules say clients' feet, shoulders and underarms must be covered. Shade Tree clients are provided proper clothing if they don't have it, Dizon said. But she can see how a situation would arise where the conversation doesn't get that far.

"I can see a new client sitting on a bunk, and someone asking her, 'Why are you here?' meaning why is she still there at dinnertime," Dizon said.

Add mentioning one more rule to someone who has spent days schlepping all over town in 115-degree heat with a pair of toddlers, and a somewhat different picture emerges. Misunderstandings often happen when nerves are raw, toddlers are hungry and Mom is exhausted from trying.

"They're at their wits end," Dizon said.

It is not likely that vast numbers of homeless children are being turned away from dinner for the lack of socks. But it is true that the social service system is overloaded and can be a labyrinth to those who need it.

Shade Tree provided beds to 80,791 women and children last year and helps some 300 women a year to obtain skills and earn a living wage.

But it needs us. The shelter could use paper towels, toilet tissue, ladies' underwear sizes 7 to 10, spray deodorant and diapers size 5 and, yes, white socks.

For a complete list of needed items, check out www.theshadetree.org.