Throughout November, Mercy House is partnering with several community organizations and businesses in Orange County as part of it fourth annual Homeless Awareness Month, a 30-day advocacy effort to raise both awareness and funds to combat the homeless problem in the county and elsewhere.
The campaign is structured around a “30 days, 30 Ways” calendar of events that offer volunteer opportunities, education, advocacy and social media outreach.
Among the month’s events:
- Strikes to End Homelessness, Nov. 15—A bowling fundraiser and raffle from 5 to 7 p.m. at Fountain Bowl, 17110 Brookhurst St., Fountain Valley.
- Sing and Support, Nov. 19—Live band karaoke night from 9 to 10:30 p.m. at House of Blues-Anaheim, 1530 Disneyland Drive, Anaheim.
- Sleep Out on Superior, Nov. 21—Join Share Our Selves for an all-night sleep-out from 6:30 p.m. to 7 a.m. at 1550 Superior Ave., Costa Mesa.
It has been estimated that there are more than 10,000 homeless people living on the streets of Orange and San Bernardino counties.
“Homelessness can oftentimes be seen as an invisible issue, despite the fact that there are thousands of people living on the streets on any given night,” says Allison Davenport, Mercy House’s Development Director. “This campaign reminds us that homelessness is a reality for so many and that together, as community members, we can work together to do something about it.”
Santa Ana-based Mercy House is a nonprofit organization that provides housing and comprehensive support services for some of the most vulnerable homeless populations, including families, adult men and women, mothers and their children, persons living with HIV/AIDS, and veterans. Mercy House was founded in 1988 by Father Jerome Karcher and has since grown into an organization that serves nearly 5,000 people a year. The organization today includes five transitional housing facilities, emergency shelter and services, homelessness prevention and rapid re-housing programs and permanent housing facilities for low-income individuals and families.
For more information, go to mercyhouse.net/homeless-awareness-month.