When Raymond “Slim” Jones was a kid, his mother always made sure that he had a pair of warm socks in the wintertime. When a fellow parishioner at Madry Temple Church told him last December that there were students at New London elementary schools who didn’t have socks, he knew he had to act.

“It just shocked me that kids were going to school without socks, so I thought, ‘Ok, what can you do about it?” said Jones, who is the facility coordinator for Alliance for Living.

In less than a year, Jones was able to collect more than 1,000 pairs of socks to donate to the four elementary schools in the city. He said he picked 1,000 as his goal because 100 pairs didn’t seem like a large enough goal but 250 pairs per school could make a difference.

Next year, during the second annual “Slim’s Sock Drive,” the hopes to collect 1,500 pairs of socks. Anyone interested in donating socks can contact Jones at (860) 514-2575.

Kelly Thompson, president and CEO of Alliance for Living, said this wasn’t the first donation project Jones had done, so she wasn’t surprised that he came up with the idea for a sock drive. She said he is always helping others and making sure they feel welcome.

“He has that ability to see where the need is and then be very creative about filling that need,” she said.

Jones spread the word for his sock drive by telling family, friends and fellow parishioners and distributing posters. He made two giant sock-shaped fabric bags to collect donations at his church, and when someone had socks to donate, he’d pick them up.

Once he reached his goal in early October, he considered waiting until December to get last-minute donations before Christmas, but then decided to distribute the socks Oct. 28 because the temperature was starting to drop. He’s still collecting socks until December and will distribute those socks at a later date.

“I just thought I should get them into the schools before the snow starts,” he said.

Nathan Hale Magnet Arts School, C.B. Jennings Elementary School, the Early Childhood Center at Harbor School, and Winthrop STEM Elementary Magnet School will each receive 262 pairs of socks in many styles and colors packed up in brightly-wrapped boxes to embrace the holiday spirit. Jones said his wife helped sort the socks so each school gets a variety.

Jessyca Campbell, dean of students at Nathan Hale Arts Magnet School, said administrators at the school found out about Jones’ donation in mid-October.

“He’s a really community oriented guy, so it’s just wonderful that we have these resources in our community,” she said.

Jones said he was amazed that he was able to collect so many pairs, and it warms his heart to be able to help out local kids.

“I’m just trying to do something to give back to the community,” Jones said.

a.hutchinson@theday.com