ENC will be launching a “Homeless Outreach” program led by the Student Government Director of Spiritual Life Emily Ludwig and fellow ENC Senior Curt Gerald on December 3.
The program will consist of a group of volunteers who will meet Saturday mornings, where they will prepare sandwiches and head into Boston to hand them out. They will be targeting the Park Street area and the surrounding downtown.
“It’s not so much about the food we are giving out, but about getting to know our neighbors and the people we live side-by-side with who are in need,” Ludwig said, as she discussed her mission to help ENC become more involved with and connected to our local communities.
The expectation is that handing out a sandwich will spark a conversation, and from that conversation will come a connection or a better understanding of the people and their needs, living right here in ENC’s own backyard.
This new group, stemming from a program that alumnus and current Director of Community Life Keri Lewis once spearheaded during her time as a student at ENC, is the latest development in an effort to achieve ENC’s mission of serving the world we live in.
In September, a group of students headed over to a local food pantry, the Quincy Crisis Center, to assist with preparing and delivering meals to families in need.
Ludwig spoke of an upcoming opportunity. “Thanksgiving is a particularly busy time for the Quincy Crisis Center as they hope to provide more and more families with meals, and they need as much help as they can get.” She urges anyone who can to lend a hand during the holidays.
The first meeting for Homeless Outreach had about 25 people in attendance, but they hope to grow and expand from there, as they want to reach as many people as they can. The more sandwiches they prepare the more conversations they can have, and the more people they have handing out the sandwiches, the more connections they can make.
They encourage anyone who has a desire to foster a sense of serving our community to get involved. Any time or effort people have to offer is welcomed. Anyone interested in helping ENC serve through either the Quincy Crisis Center or the Homeless Outreach program can contact Emily Ludwig or SGA.