Teens Go Homeless to Show Passion for a Growing Problem

In its fifth year, more than 150 high school students will spend a weekend without a roof over their heads, without mom's homecooking, without electronics including phones. Instead, they will begin in worship on Friday night and end in their own church on Sunday morning.

Attleboro Area Youth Homelessness Awareness Weekend will take place at Mason Field in North Attleboro and will host youth and their leaders from Norton, Mansfield, North Attleboro, Attleboro, Wrentham, Foxboro, Seekonk and Rehoboth. It all began five years ago when the Rehoboth Congregational Youth Group went on a mission to Washington D.C. and saw so many homeless people there. Don McClain, the coordinator and a Rehoboth Congregational Youth Group Advisor, credits them for making this event happen.

The event will happen over the Veteran's Day Holiday weekend and is also designated at Homelessness Awareness weekend across the country. According to the National Homeless Organization in 2010 "1.59 million people spent at least one night in emergency shelter or transitional housing and the is up 2.2 percent increase since 2009." In Massachusetts, according to the United Way of Greater Attleboro/Tauton, nearly 3,000 families are homeless, and 1,000 families are living in motels across the state. Right here in the South Coast of the state, there are about 110 homeless families, 806 homeless individuals. More than 175 of those homeless are chronically homeless individuals."

The students will build a and will sleep there for two nights rain or shine. The temperatures could drop into the teens, or it could pour with chilly rain. The students have even experienced high winds and just cool temperatures as last year. They depend on the kindness of others for food for the weekend and they spend the weekend raising money by panhandling and selling coffee that has been donated. They also serve at area soup kitchens and learn some lessons about the misconceptions about homelessness.

You can help by simply remembering to CARE as stated by National Homeless Organization

• C - Contribute (food drives, money, etc.,)
• A - Advocate
• R - Reach Out (volunteering)
• E - Educate