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Down the Street: Bonfolk socks give back to homeless

When you buy a pair of unique Bonfolk socks, another pair of socks will be donated to those in need.

With Thanksgiving on Thursday, there will be a lot of people giving back to others.

And giving back is the backbone of the local company that is promoting both our unique Louisiana culture while also helping people in need.

Janna Hart is fulfilling her life-long dream of a fashion designer in L.A. but she worked in an area called Skid Row with one of the largest homeless populations in the country.

Suddenly her life didn’t feel so fulfilled.

“It really took a toll on my everyday so I really wanted to start a company that gives back. I felt empty with what I was doing,” Hart said.

The Chapelle graduate and husband Tim came back to New Orleans and created Bonfolk, meaning good folk, a sock company with compassion.

When you buy a pair of unique Bonfolk socks, another pair of socks will be donated to those in need.

“I found that socks are the number 1 requested clothing item in shelters. So I was like, ‘Let’s do it! I can design fun, culture-inspired socks,” Hart said.

Some socks feature oysters, read beans, poboys, pelicans, mosquitoes.

Totally self-funded, Janna would set up a table at a local market and hope for the best and one night, that happened.

“That night, it was crazy, I had a line at my table and I sold out of my socks that day and I was like ‘Okay, I think this is going to be, this is going to work, people are going to love this,’” Hart said.

With Bonfolk in 100 retail stores, it’s challenging to keep up because Janna and Tim are the company; from design to packaging to distribution. And delivery is what the Hart’s love most, not their socks coming in, but delivering the black, sturdy, functional socks to local shelters.

“It’s awesome, you leave there so filled with love and a million different emotions. It’s the best feeling in the whole entire world,” Hart said.

Bonfold has already donated 100,000 socks since opening in 2015.

To learn more about Bonfolk, click here.

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