HOUSTON – Princess Jackson is on a mission to stomp out poverty in Houston and across the world.
The 18-year-old Houston native founded a nonprofit organization, Sock Out Poverty Inc., to provide socks to homeless people and those in need.
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On Friday, Jackson, along with her mother Phyllis Burton, hosted the 8th Annual Sock Campaign at Loaves and Fishes Soup Kitchen near downtown Houston. The kitchen is at 2009 Congress Street.
Jackson passed out new socks to more than 300 men and women who came to receive a hot meal. The 2021 campaign, dubbed “Where It All Began,” marks Jackson’s return to the soup kitchen, where she held her first sock campaign eight years ago.
Due to the pandemic and winter storm in Houston, Jackson said she paused the out-of-state sock campaign to focus her attention on her hometown.
“I saw my city struggling with the pandemic and the winter storm, and I saw that as an opportunity to give back to my community,” she said.
Jackson started Sock Out Poverty about eight years ago after she noticed during a blanket drive with her mom that many homeless people didn’t have socks to keep them warm. She said her nonprofit focuses on socks because it’s a much-needed, but often overlooked personal item.
To date, the nonprofit has provided more than 15,000 pairs of new socks in the Houston, Beaumont, San Antonio, Dallas areas, as well as in Georgia, California, Washington, DC, Florida, New York, and Alabama. She has also received donations from national businesses including Walmart, Sam’s Club, The Floyd Mayweather Jr. Foundation and comedian and TV host Steve Harvey.
“I’m very passionate about giving back. It was passed down from my grandfather, then to my mom and now it has passed down to me,” Jackson said. “My whole family is about giving back and passionate about helping others.”
Jackson is also set to graduate from high school this month. Then she plans to attend Texas Southern University to major in Radio, Film and Television Communications with a minor in Theater.
She also plans to further her acting career. She has starred in short films and commercials and was featured on Steve Harvey’s show for her work through her nonprofit. She also received a proclamation from the city of Houston naming July 7 as “Princess Jackson Day.”
If you would like to support Sock Out Poverty, you can donate online, in-person or by mail.