Hunger and Homelessness Awareness Week 2023
November 11-18
This week is Hunger and Homelessness Awareness Week, an annual, national initiative and an opportunity to shine a light on the problems of hunger and homelessness.
This Hunger and Homelessness Awareness Week, remember that everyone needs a place to call home! Help Your Way Home provide socks, hats, gloves, and other basic needs for people experiencing homelessness in Montgomery County.
For Hunger and Homelessness Awareness Week 2023, Your Way Home is kicking off our annual Point-in-Time (PIT) Count Donation Drive!
The 2024 PIT count is approaching soon, and will be held on January 23rd! This year, Your Way Home continued to rely on the Lived Experience Advisory Board to recommend the survival items that would be most useful for our unhoused neighbors during the PIT count. Your Way Home's Wish List will be open until Friday January 12, 2024. Please consider giving a gift this year and thank you in advance for your continued support!
Montgomery County Community Events
County-Wide Winter Coat Drive
Norristown Hospitality Center One Night Without A Home
Join the “One Night Without a Home” Sleep Out. Raise critical funds to make sure that those experiencing homelessness and poverty are receiving basic needs care, social services, and health programs.
Who? Anyone over the age of 18 is invited to join in person for the “One Night Without a Home” Sleep Out. Those who are under 18, may register and participate virtually in their home, school, or faith community.
What? The “One Night Without a Home” Sleep Out is an opportunity to show support for our neighbors who live on the street. There will be a rally, speakers, a prayer vigil, and a solidarity sleep-out. We will join together to create awareness and, through our peer-to-peer fundraising campaign, raise money that will directly impact Norristown area homeless population.
When? The event will begin at 7:00 PM on Thursday, November 16th. The event will conclude at 7:00 AM on Friday, November 17th.
Where? The event will take place on the steps of the Montgomery County Courthouse (2 East Airy Street, Norristown, PA). Once you are registered, information will be provided about the event and how to set up a peer-to-peer fundraising account to raise awareness and funds to support those who are experiencing homelessness.
If you have any questions, please contact Matt Kirsch at matt@hospitalitycenter.org. Register HERE
Pack Meals for Manna on Main Street!
Manna on Main Street is a Your Way Home partner that works to end hunger in the North Penn region of Montgomery County.
Throughout the year, Manna on Main Street has a limited number of dates when programs are all closed, largely due to holidays or inclement weather. In preparation for this, extra shelf stable meals are available for Manna clients in the days leading up to any closure dates. We gratefully welcome community support in producing these extra meals! They can be easily prepared at home, or as a group or school event. Please see this Google Doc (https://tinyurl.com/kp38hnaj) for details regarding this project. Thank you for your support!
Donate Gear Through Access Services
Through the Street Outreach and Street Medicine programs, Access Services helps to supply gear to people who are living outside in Montgomery County. There is an increased need for sleeping bags, tents and tarps this year for several reasons.
With minimal shelter space and a lack of affordable housing, the number of people who need have no indoor options continues to rise.
This area experienced a very wet summer and fall and predictions are that the winter will have more precipitation than usual as well.
With gear intended for occasional use being used on a daily basis in these harsher conditions, many items have simply worn out and need to be replaced.
Several people were moved from their locations this summer and their gear was not in good enough condition to move.
Anyone willing to help can purchase these necessary items thought our Amazon Wishlist at https://a.co/iv1SKpF. Purchases will be mailed directly to Access Services for your convenience and so we can distribute them as soon as they are needed! Thank you for your consideration.
Looking for a Local Food Pantry in Your Community? Explore the MontCo Anti-Hunger Network Resource Guide and Food Pantry Map!
Want to Help in Your Community? Get involved!
Check out the Your Way Home Partner Organizations to see who is doing work in your community and how you can help!