For some living in the U-District this year, autumn’s promise of cold weather brings with it a pressing need: socks. While students chase down a deal on winter coats and prepare for midterms, homeless youth in the U-District are just trying to keep their feet dry.

“When your feet are cold, you’re cold,” said Colin Knight, volunteer coordinator for the Rising Out Of The Shadows (ROOTS) shelter at the University Temple United Methodist Church.

As one of the only youth shelters in Seattle, ROOTS supports about 400 youth per year who cycle in and out of the U-District. With winter drawing near, the shelter’s staff is seeking donations to help the young adults prepare for wet and cold weather. During these past few months, however, the number of youth arriving at the shelter has increased; now the shelter is looking for ways to clothe these young adults for the winter.

ROOTS hosts up to 25 youth per night, ages 18 through 25, if they agree to certain terms: no drugs, no guns, no sex. Usually, there are enough beds for everyone who signs in, Knight said. Lately, though, about 40 youth arrive at the shelter, and there are not enough beds for everyone. The only other alternative beds are in adult shelters, where, Knight said, youth face older homeless people who tend to be chronically homeless.

“For young adults … it’s really quite different,” he said, indicating that young adults have the capacity to be off the streets if given time and attention.

For now, ROOTS and groups like the University Street Ministry — a group that hosts Teen Feed, a nightly free meal — plan to distribute as much winter gear as they can. Sleeping bags and heavy coats are among the items the youth need now, said Alexis Lair, direct service support staff for the University Street Ministry.

“Socks are the biggest thing,” she said, noting that volunteers sometimes pass out entire boxes of socks to meet demand for them.

The University Street Ministry served more than 11,000 meals this past year to more than 600 young adults, according to their Web site. Their outreach programs also claim to have helped 28 people leave the homeless life behind and another 68 find employment during the past year.

Despite the local gains, a 2008 Conference of Mayors report found that homelessness that year increased by 15 percent. A citywide count this year revealed more than 2,000 people sleeping in shelters, cars or on the streets during one January night.

Neither report factored age into their counts, but Knight said that many of the U-District’s homeless are young adults, and many of the services available to them today sprung up in the U-District because that is where the youth are present.

“There is a sense of security [in the U-District] because homeless youth have backpacks and so do students,” Lair said.

Knight said some UW students volunteer at ROOTS to help out their homeless peers, but they could always use more volunteers, and they could especially use winter clothing — and socks. At least four or five guests per night are looking for socks.

Reach reporter Andrew Doughman at news@dailyuw.com.