SOCKtober: A Conversation with Xavier “Javi” Swinarski

Xavier “Javi” Swinarski is a junior at Gilmour Academy and one of two recipients of the 2025 William R. Simms Award for Outstanding Youth in Philanthropy, presented by the Association of Fundraising Professionals. Javi launched his annual “SOCKtober” sock drive in the fourth grade after learning that socks are the most requested item in homeless shelters. Since then, he has mobilized classmates, local organizations, and national partners to collect and distribute tens of thousands of pairs of socks, including more than 22,000 in 2024 alone. We spoke with him live at ICON, AFP’s international conference in Seattle, Washington.