Walking with Boston’s Homeless

Each year, Catholic Campus Ministry and United Campus Ministry bring students to Boston for a tour of downtown led by people who are or have been homeless. This tour gives students the opportunity to learn firsthand about homelessness, and to get the answers to questions such as: Where do homeless people go at night? How do they keep warm? Where do they find food? How do they keep themselves safe? What do I do when I see a homeless person on the sidewalk? As they walk Boston’s streets, students also offer food and clothing to the homeless they meet along the way.

In 2012, this tour will take place on Saturday, October 13. 

What You Should Expect

The Friday afternoon before the tour, participants pack backpacks and other sturdy bags  with new socks and underwear and gift cards for a fast-food restaurant that have been donated. On Saturday, we leave in a carpool from the Reflection & Spiritual Care Center at 8:00 a.m. Carrying the bags, we meet our tour guides downtown and begin walking the streets of downtown Boston. As we see homeless people along the way, students approach them in groups of two or three, offer them bags, and chat with them. We stop to purchase lunch (or you can bring your own) and reflect on the morning. Then we continue the tour until about 3:00 p.m. We return to Plymouth State around 5:00 p.m., continuing our reflections as we drive home.

Note: No religious affiliation is required to go on this trip.

How to Register

In 2012, the cost of this trip is $25. Sign-ups begin Friday, September 28. To sign up, bring a $15 non-refundable deposit to Kathy Tardif in the Reflection & Spiritual Care Center, usually open 10 a.m. – 4 p.m. Monday to Friday. It’s always best to call ahead (535-2673). The final balance of $10 is due Wednesday, October 10. If you need help paying for this, let us know; the cost should not stand in your way of going on this trip. Space is limited, and a waiting list will be created, if necessary.

For questions, contact Kathy Tardif (kmtardif@plymouth.edu or 535-2673), Catholic Campus Minister.

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