Give It Away Now:
Shelter the Homeless

Every year nearly 3.5 million people will experience homelessness. This overwhelming need is far greater than the number of emergency shelters and temporary housing units available in many areas. Often, individuals and even families are turned away from these services because they are too full. even after a person is taken into a shelter there may not be adequate food, resources, or staffing to care for their needs.

What is “Give It Away Now”

This is our fifth annual “Give It Away Now” Life Night. In 2008 we collected 300,000 pounds of clothing for donation to charities. In 2009 we collected 200,000 canned food items for local food pantries, and the following year we raised over $200,000 to help build wells that are now providing clean water to people in Africa. Last year, we collected over 100,000 baby items to help mothers and children who could not afford the basic necessities. As a community we have helped give clothing to the naked, food to the hungry, water to the thirsty, and have helped uphold the dignity of all human life. This year we are challenged as a community to serve some of the most marginalized in our society – those who have no place to call home.

Our Goal

This year we are challenging all Edge and Life Teen parishes to begin a working relationship with their local homeless shelter – to conduct a drive to collect needed items for the shelter and a “service hours” drive to find volunteers to help work at the shelter as well.

1. Collect and Donate needed items to local homeless shelters.
2. Commit to service hours at these shelters.

After the Life Night / Edge Night, email one group picture that includes a sign with the parish name, city, state, country (if outside the U.S.), the number of items collected, and service hours pledged to [email protected]. We will post totals, along with pictures from all the parishes, on this page and on facebook.com/lifeteen in the weeks following the Life Night / Edge Night. Please send us your results no later than October 26, 2012. No photos or results will be posted after this date.

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Social Media: #ShelterTheHomeless

Hundreds of parishes and thousands of teens around the world will be a global force to help alleviate homelessness in their local communities. We are encouraging you to use the hashtag #ShelterTheHomeless to unify our efforts and share with the world our care for the least of our brothers and sisters. Use the hashtag and we will combine your Tweets and Instagram photos right here to highlight the story and give a central place for you to see what other teens are doing to help shelter the homeless and share the face of Christ.

Tweet #ShelterTheHomeless