Colorado Strong: Former homeless man gives back one sock at a time

Jon Gemelke has walked many miles as a homeless man in Colorado Springs and around the country.

“I had a speed addiction,” Gemelke told KRDO NewsChannel 13. “I was a meth head for a long time. Many, many years. I’ve been clean since July 4th weekend of 2003.”

With his life turned around and a new-found Christian faith, Gemelke made it his life’s mission to help the people who are where he once was.

“They’re responsible for being where they’re at,” Gemelke said. “But they can also get out of that and so it’s just about showing them that we care about them.”

On weekends Gemelke spends his spare time handing out socks to the homeless.

“Socks is one of the things that’s needed most, but it’s least donated by people,” he said. “I’ve seen people with frostbite out here. I’ve seen them without toes. I’ve had them say thank you and say, ‘I don’t have frostbite anymore because of the socks you gave me.'”

Gemelke’s hobby eventually grew to an official nonprofit 501(c)3 organization. Still, because the need is so great, Gemelke pays for a lot of the socks with his own money.

“I’m not a pastor. I’m not a minister. I’m just somebody that’s trying to give back and love people where they’re at and show them that we care,” Gemelke said.

To learn more about Gemelke’s organization, Sock It Too ’em, click here.