WellSpring Kicks Off Hunger and Homelessness Awareness Week

WellSpring is recognizing Hunger and Homelessness Awareness Week, a nationwide week of action where people draw attention to poverty. Staff and volunteers from WellSpring will spend the week holding educational, community service, fundraising, and advocacy events to address these critical issues.

“Hunger and homelessness are epidemics that sadly affect too many members of our community,” said Bob Goodrum, Executive Director for GROUP. “We’re organizing Hunger and Homelessness Awareness Week to help concerned citizens tackle these issues head-on, rally public support, and call for solutions.”

Every person deserves food on their plate and a roof over their heads. Unfortunately, far too many people in Morgan County experience hunger and homelessness:

In FY 2023-24:

We served 501 unique individuals. Of those 250 were male and 251 were female. 213 of those served were children

                Our Gunner James Burnam Food Pantry distributed 79,837 pounds of food to those in need.

We provided 9,644 nights of emergency shelter and 14,880 nights of permanent supportive housing for a total of 24,524 nights of lodging.

1,877 behavioral health care services were provided by our team.

Hunger and Homelessness Awareness Week is co-sponsored by the National Coalition for the Homeless and the National Student Campaign Against Hunger and Homelessness. The event originated at Villanova University in 1975 and now takes place each year in hundreds of communities across the country.

For Hunger and Homelessness Awareness Week, WellSpring will be holding a series of events, including:

The Martinsville’s Culver’s (500 Prather Drive, Martinsville) is proud to host Concretes for a Cause, where $1 from every concrete mixer sold is donated to WellSpring to combat food insecurity. The event will run from November 18-22.

On Friday, November 22nd. starting at 6 PM, community members will begin a “sleep out” in solidarity with the unsheltered. It will continue until 6 AM on Nov. 23rd. Campsites will be located in front of WellSpring (301 West Harrison Street, Martinsville, Associated Bail Bonds (690 West Morgan Street, Martinsville), and Fairway Mortgage (1 West Main Street, Mooresville).

Here are ways you can be a part of the solution to end family homelessness in Morgan County.

Join us at one of our sleep-out locations or invite your friends to join you and establish your own “campsite”.

Make a secure donation to support those experiencing hunger and homelessness

https://wellspringcenter.networkforgood.com/projects/237195-byobox-2024

Sunday the 24th at 2 pm Porch Time Podcast will be having a fundraiser! This fundraiser will help cover 3 areas. 1/3 of the proceeds will go to WellSpring. Bob Goodrum and company help out so many across the community and really need help this year! 1/3 will also go to the Red Barn. Patty Coryell Owens has been feeding folks for decades and this time of year she needs our help! The remaining 3rd will go towards next year’s Martinsville Christmas event.
It will be a typical fundraiser…baked goods…lots of yummy stuff…tickets, baskets, the usual items. Please bring your items to the Porch Time LLC studio (1289 East Morgan Street, Martinsville) on Saturday the 23rd. Refrigerator items will need to come on the morning of the 24th

For information on Hunger and Homelessness Awareness Week events in other cities, visit http://hhweek.org.