HomeFront’s upcoming “Week of Hope” will be held February 14-19, 2022. For local community members, it’s a week of community service opportunities, plus art, discussions, and educational forums to help transform the lives of local families who are homeless.
The “Week of Hope” has been described as a way for community members to “go big in the new year,” says the nonprofit’s CEO Connie Mercer, “and experience that energizing feeling which comes with making someone’s life better.”
Founded in 1991, HomeFront’s successes are powered by hands-on volunteers of all ages and backgrounds. Volunteers can become involved in many ways, including helping with the nonprofit’s tutoring, mentoring, children’s programs, employment and adult education programs, food and diaper pantries, FreeStore, and therapeutic ArtSpace program.
“Joining in our Week of Hope”, says HomeFront’s Director of Community Engagement, Meghan Cubano, “provides a way for community members to step out of their every day, connect and make memories, learn something new, and feel the positivity that comes from helping a local family. It is the perfect antidote to the gloom that has been hanging over this new year.”
This year’s “Week of Hope” offers in-person and virtual opportunities for people to participate. In-person opportunities include helping HomeFront’s staff deliver meals to families living at local area motels, sorting clothes and stocking shelves at HomeFront’s FreeStore in Trenton, and volunteering in HomeFront’s Fran’s Food Pantry or Diaper Resource Center.
The virtual engagement opportunities include events such as the HomeFront orientation, which showcases the nonprofit’s comprehensive services model of 36 programs to help local families break the cycle of poverty, a virtual tour of HomeFront’s headquarters, art projects, lunch and learns with HomeFront leaders, discussion about the Netflix® show Maid and its depiction of the biggest hurdles families face to regaining stability after becoming homeless, and at home Valentine making and baking projects.
“We call it the Week of Hope,” says HomeFront CEO Connie Mercer, “because the last 31 years have taught us that, when the community gets involved we absolutely can give families who are homeless the hope, courage, emergency services and skills they need to succeed.”
For more information about the “Week of Hope” events, please visit TinyURL.com/HFWeekofHope2022 or www.homefrontnj.org.
