People of KHSC: Michelle Hiebert

By day Michelle Hiebert is an executive assistant at Kingston Health Sciences Centre (KHSC), but during her spare time she’s supporting a local charity and helping those less fortunate stay a little warmer.

“SOCKS Kingston collects new socks for the homeless and those in need,” Hiebert explained. “Many people do not realize that socks are the most needed and least donated item for the homeless.”

Inspired by a friend who founded the charity in 2014, Hiebert launched the Kingston chapter shortly after moving to the limestone city, as a way to give back to her new community.

“New socks are more than an article of clothing to those who have so little. They offer warmth, health, ownership, pride, and are a symbol that someone is looking out for them. A new pair of socks make the forgotten poor feel wanted and loved again.”

And the need is great. Donations are distributed to 29 different community organizations.

“We collected 27,763 pairs of socks in 2022 alone. Since starting SOCKS Kingston in 2016, we have collected and distributed over 113,000 pairs of new socks in the community.”

Even KHSC run programs and departments have been on the receiving end of Hiebert’s charity work.

“We have distributed new socks to the Detoxification Centre, outpatient mental health, Urgent Care Centre, Emergency Department, Pediatrics, Children’s Outpatient Clinic, and Ininew Patient Services.

“A few years back I was chatting with someone from Pediatrics and she was getting a little one ready to go home. She got a brand new pair of socks out of the supply and mentioned it was from SOCKS Kingston. It made me smile from ear to ear.”

Word of her charity is making the rounds at KHSC and has even inspired other departments to start their own sock collection drives.

“I am so very proud of what SOCKS Kingston has accomplished across the community and at KHSC.”