Lawrence Nonprofit To Begin ‘Week Of Hope’ On Valentine’s Day

LAWRENCEVILLE, NJ — HomeFront will be celebrating their fifth annual “Week of Hope,” beginning Feb. 14 to 21.

The Lawrenceville-based organization that helps the poor and homeless in Mercer County, has planned events for the entire week, beginning Valentine’s Day. They hope to get the community and neighbors involved through art, film, volunteering and panel discussions.

“Share the Love” a virtual art event will see participants decorate hearts, and adorn them with poetry and inspirational quotes. These will be displayed at the Family Campus. The Family Campus provides temporary shelter and tools for self-sufficiency for up to 38 families experiencing homelessness.

There will also be a variety of “Week of Hope” virtual learning forums about local homelessness and hunger, solutions, and how to get involved.

Residents can take a virtual tour of HomeFront on Feb. 15 and 19 or attend a ZOOM lunch & learn with CEO, Connie Mercer, and COO, Sarah Steward on Feb. 17.

HomeFront and the Princeton Public Library will host a panel on Hunger and Homelessness in the Time of Covid-19, on Feb. 18, 6 p.m. The panel will be moderated by Connie Mercer, and panelists include Bernie Flynn, CEO of Mercer Street Friends; Emily Lemmerman of Princeton University’s Eviction Lab; Crystol Thompson-Dyous, Trenton School District Parent Liaison and former HomeFront client; Sarah Steward, Chief of Operations at Homefront; and Gregory Stankiewicz, Statewide Coordinator of the NJ Community Schools Coalition.

HomeFront is also offering residents the opportunity to volunteer. For the Virtual Packing Events on Feb.16, members can tune in, pack up, and then deliver snack and activity bags to the headquarters. On-site volunteering will be held at HomeFront’s Diaper Resource Center on Feb. 20.

There are also opportunities to volunteer throughout the year.

The Valentine’s Day week will wrap up with a virtual viewing of a short film created by Force for Good - an original film and music venture started to benefit local nonprofits by Grammy-nominated composer and performer, Jonathan Sprout.

Click here to learn more about HomeFront's upcoming "Week of Hope.

This story is part of Patch's Headlining Hope series, which profiles local nonprofits and charitable organizations in need of volunteers and resources. If you know of a local organization that should be profiled, contact sarah.salvadore@patch.com.