Saint Agnes School sock collection delivers comfort and warmth – Diocese of Scranton

TOWANDA – Across the Diocese of Scranton, Catholic Schools Week looked a little different this year.

A big snowstorm in late January, icy roads, and frigid temperatures forced delays, closures, and schedule changes in many places, stretching what is traditionally a single week of celebration into something longer and more flexible in many communities.

Fifth grade students from Saint Agnes School in Towanda pose with nearly 400 pairs of socks that they collected for the local VFW during Catholic Schools Week 2026.

Yet even as calendars shifted, the foundation behind Catholic Schools Week remained the same: faith, learning, and service to others.

Throughout the 19 Catholic schools in the Diocese of Scranton students participated in outreach projects that extended beyond school walls and into the wider community.

One such example came from Saint Agnes Elementary School in Towanda, where students collected socks to benefit the local Veterans of Foreign Wars (VFW) Post.

The socks will be distributed to men, women, and children throughout the local area and the state – providing warmth and comfort during the cold winter months.

The service project was organized by the school’s 5th Grade Kindness Club, which took responsibility for collecting and counting donations from every grade level.

From Pre-K 3 through sixth grade, students were encouraged to bring in socks, turning a friendly competition into a shared mission.

“We were bringing socks and we would count them up and give them to people who need them,” fifth grader Killian Smith said.

When asked how it felt knowing the socks were going to the VFW, Smith’s answer was simple and sincere: “Good.”

His classmate, Will Eberlin, was struck by the number of donations.

“There were a lot of socks,” he said. “It will help a lot of people, and it will keep people warm.”

In the end more than 360 pairs of socks were collected, with second graders leading the way by donating 96 pairs.

Several students spoke about how meaningful it was to help others during a week already filled with celebration.

“Catholic Schools Week is really fun because you get to play games and think of the people you’re giving to,” fifth grader Sofia Lrozzo stated.

For Max Bride, the combination of learning, fun, and service is what makes Catholic Schools Week special.

“I think it’s nice to help people,” Bride said.

Through projects like the sock collection, students at Saint Agnes School learned to live the Gospel in tangible ways and that even small acts of kindness can make a meaningful difference.