Hunger and Homelessness
Awareness Week

November 17th marks the start of this year’s Hunger and Homelessness Awareness Week. This annual program, taking place November 17th-23rd, is held every year prior to Thanksgiving. Hunger and Homelessness Awareness Week aims to bring awareness to issues surrounding hunger and homelessness in our country.

The first H&H Awareness Week event was hosted at Villanova University in 1975. Today, over 700 schools and community groups come together for this week nationwide. The week is designed to educate the public about poverty and highlight these growing issues. H&H Awareness Week also encourages organizations, schools, and churches to host local events for their community-offering community members opportunities to get involved. Individuals can participate in a number of ways such as by being organizers, attendees, volunteers, or donors. 

For this week, Heading Home is hosting events to help educate some of Bloomington’s student groups and encourage volunteerism. On November 15th, Heading Home partnered with Cox Civic Scholars to make winter hygiene kits for outreach workers in Bloomington. Their kits, which were tailored for the cold months approaching, contained a variety of items including hand warmers, emergency blankets, hats, gloves and socks. 

Heading Home has also collaborated with Bloomington South High School to organize events for high school students. In recognition of Hunger and Homelessness Awareness Week, Heading Home members Tatiana Wheeler and Shay Berry will be speaking with students during their Panther Plus free-time hour. Heading Home will lead an engaging presentation and discussion that will offer students insight into housing insecurity in Monroe and neighboring counties. This callout meeting will also kick off the 2025 reading challenge for students to participate in.

This will be Heading Home’s second year hosting a reading challenge at Bloomington South High School. Beginning in January, participating students will be asked to select and read a minimum of two books from a curated list as well as submit a written or video reflection about what they read. This challenge is designed to inform high school students about housing insecurity and encourage them to be a part of the solution to strengthening housing security. Participants will be entered into a prize drawing, and a pizza party discussion will be held with all participating students once the challenge is complete. 

Lastly, for Hunger and Homelessness Awareness Week, Heading Home is promoting a volunteer initiative. We would like to empower everyone to be a part of the solution. Being a part of the solution can seem daunting, but it can start with something as simple as volunteering.

This year, Heading Home is encouraging everyone to invite a friend to volunteer alongside them. If you do not currently volunteer, this is the perfect opportunity to start. Many organizations rely on the support of volunteers, and every volunteer matters- two volunteers is better than one! 

This holiday season, we hope to inspire you to make a difference with friends by your side.