Exactly one week before Halloween, most people are planning last minute costumes, carving pumpkins, or binge-watching all their Halloween favorites. However, one group of Brandeis students is preparing to give back to the community this Halloween. These students belong to the Waltham Group‘s organization, Hunger and Homelessness (H&H). HC at Brandeis talked to H&H coordinator, Lily Elderkin ’18, to learn more about H&H’s annual Halloween for the Hungry.
Her Campus: Can you tell us more about the Waltham Group’s Hunger & Homelessness?
Lily Elderkin: Hunger and Homlessness is one of many Waltham Group organizations. We offer volunteer programs that address homelessness and poverty in the Greater Boston Area. H&H is unique in that we offer volunteer commitments both large and small throughout the year. We have two drives throughout the school year where we collect nonperishable food items and clothing to donate to Middlesex Human Services Agency. We also have our weekly Food 4 Thought program, where we go to the Community Day Center of Waltham and serve lunch to the guests experiencing homelessness and poverty there.
HC: What is Halloween for the Hungry?
LE: Brandeis students trick-or-treat in Waltham in costume on Halloween collecting nonperishable food items to be donated to Middlesex Human Services Agency. This is the biggest volunteer event on campus each year, and this year we are celebrating our 30th anniversary of this drive!
HC: Can you tell us more about Middlesex Human Services Agency?
LE: Middlesex Human Services Agency runs the Bristol Lodge Soup Kitchen in Waltham, as well as homeless shelters for both men and women. More information can be found on their website.
HC: What’s your favorite part of heading this initiative?
LE: I love to see the Brandeis community come together to have fun and do good for other people – all in costumes! We typically have around 100 volunteers, and it is so inspiring to watch them all pour into Shapiro Lounge on Halloween.
HC: What can volunteers expect from their Halloween for the Hungry Experience?
LE: Volunteers will sign up for a two-hour shift anytime between 12pm and 6pm on Monday, Oct. 31st. We will provide food and decorations in Shapiro Lounge in Massell Quad all day long. We will also have an advocacy campaign going on, where volunteers can sign a petition supporting the Homeless Bill of Rights, currently in the Massachusetts legislature. We will then provide transportation to their assigned neighborhood, where they will go door-to-door trick-or-treating for nonperishable food items. Waltham residents usually give out candy too!
Halloween for the Hungry in Review:
When: Monday, October 31st
Where: Meet in Shapiro Lounge, transportation provided to designated neighborhood
Time Commitment: Two hour time slot between 12:00 PM and 6:00 PM
To sign up, click here.