Shantytown
“Won’t you take me to….Shantytown!” was the refrain of Melanie our parish youth minister last night as the young people gathered to raise money and resources for our local food pantry and domestic violence shelter. The youth were seeking also to raise awareness of the needs of the poor in our community by spending the night living in boxes and going for one night with less food than they normally would have on a Saturday night. They gathered after each mass to ask for donations, listened to the stories of members of the community who have been homeless and then slept outside for the evening. At around 1 AM the police came to tell them they must move away from the road due to complaints. Later, having moved to a less conspicuous location, they were awakened once again when the sprinkers showered them around 6 AM. It was a small experience of learning more about those who live on the streets and it makes me proud to see our young people taking an interest in expanding their understanding of the homeless.
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