Attleboro Area Youth Homeless Awareness Weekend

This year, November 9th – 11th will mark the 6th Annual Attleboro Area Youth Homeless Awareness Weekend.  The event was started 6 years ago by the Rehoboth Congregational Church youth group after a mission trip to Washington, DC.  The youth expressed a desire to do more for the homeless in our own area and the advisors were more than happy to oblidge.  In the past 5 years the event has grown to involve over 6 churches including 100 youth and 20 adults spending the weekend in a cardboard community.  This will be our 3rd year at Mason Field in N. Attleboro, MA.

The amazing youth and their advisors put aside their usual commitments and activities and the comforts of home to brave the weather and come together to raise awareness and donations for the problem of homelessness and hunger in our local communities.  Over the past years the youth have raised $45,000 as well as food and clothing donations.  The donations benefit Attleboro Area Council of Churches Food & Friends Program and the Homes with Heart program as well as many local soup kitchens, food pantries and homeless shelters.  All donations remain local to Massachusetts and Rhode Island.

The event begins with an Ecumenical Service on Friday November 9th at 7pm at the Central Congregational Church on Commonwealth Ave in the Attleboro Falls area of N. Attleboro.  We will then walk a candlelight vigil to Mason Field down the street to begin our weekend of homelessness.  Saturday the individual youth groups will participate in various fund raising events including returning to their home towns to collect donations of food, clothing and money.  Members from each group will also particpate in preparing and serving a meal at several local soup kitchens.  Everyone will gather back together at Mason Field in the evening for a meal of stone soup and a speaker from the homeless community.

Participation is not limited to faith based groups.  If your youth organization is interested in participating please contact the event organizer Don McClain at Nolan’s Flowers, nolansflowers@aol.com, 508-695-7083.

Mason Field will be open for donations all day Saturday November 10th.  Please bring food, clothing or monetary donations to be distributed to the local area organizations helping the homeless and hungry.  Checks can be made out to Attleboro Area Council of Churches.  If you have any questions please contact Don McClain.