Published January 13. 2022 12:50PM
By PASTOR KAYLI FREEMAN
Special to The Press
SUSAN BRYANT
sbryant@tnonline.com
More than 50 youth and adults from the Penn Northeast Conference of the United Church of Christ gathered Nov. 13, 2021, at Union United Church of Christ, Neffs, or their home congregations, to participate in One Night Without a Home.
The event was planned by Pastor Janet Newett, of St. John’s UCC, Fogelsville, and the Rev. Kayli Freeman, of Union UCC, in conjunction with the Lehigh Conference of Churches.
Other church youth who participated were from Jordan United Church of Christ, South Whitehall; St. John’s UCC, Fullerton; New Creation UCC, Easton; Forks UCC, Forks; St. Paul’s UCC, Northampton; and St. John’s UCC, Nazareth.
The sleepout was designed to raise awareness for homelessness in the local communities through education, team building, and facing realities many who experience homelessness may face.
The youth slept in boxes or tents in relatively cold temperatures and experienced what it was like to go without food for a period of time, especially when they are so used to having the comforts and accessibility in their own homes.
The youth were asked to raise funds to help support the Lehigh Conference of Churches outreach programs that help those who experience homelessness in the Lehigh Valley. The group from the Penn Northeast Conference raised more than $2,000 from the event.
PRESS PHOTOS COURTESY UNION UCC Pastor Janet Newett, of St. John's UCC, Fogelsville, leads youth in the educational presentation about homelessness.
Tents were set up for youth to sleep in on Nov. 13, 2021. Temperatures dropped to 31 degrees that night.
The youth group discusses the educational portions of homelessness.
