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 Over
ten years ago, some junior high students were in a Sunday school class
thinking of ways to help people in need.
One thoughtful
student raised his hand and suggested
bringing
blankets into Boston for
the
homeless.
It
was agreed, and off they went with a trunkload of
blankets and old sleeping bags. In Boston, there was no shortage of
people needing warm bedding to withstand the
cold winter nights spent in alleys and stairwells. Having completed
their
first mission into the city, they decided to make this a regular event.
During
the
week they asked friends, family, and even strangers for more
blankets and usable clothing, and on Saturdays, they took what they had gathered into the
city. While planning one of those early trips, a volunteer decided
to make some nourishing meals and hot coffee to bring in.
What started out as a one-time blanket delivery to the
homeless became Urban Salt and Light (USL), founded in 1998 by
Michael Viggiano, Elisabeth Meyer, and the
members of
the
junior high Sunday school of First Church Congregational of Boxford.
Since its inception, USL has positively impacted the
lives of thousands of homeless people within the
city of Boston. With
the
aid
of its
many volunteers, USL collects
food, clothing, boots, sneakers, and toiletries,
all of which are distributed several times
a
month to Boston’s homeless.
There are well over two million homeless people in
America.
A
recent congressional study predicts that nearly 19 million people will face the
prospects of homelessness in America in
the
next 15 years. On an average night, about one-half of the
homeless population had been homeless for less than three months, and one-quarter had been homeless for more than three years.
USL encourages you to volunteer in any of the
following ways:
Collect usable items (especially coats, seasonable
underwear, socks, boots, and toiletries)
Help us sort donated items
Help prepare food
Help serve meals in Boston
If you wish to
donate your time, skills, resources, or professional help with USL, please contact Michael Viggiano, Elisabeth Meyer, or Phil
Jamieson. Checks may be made out to “First Church Congregational,
Boxford” with the note “USL” and sent to First Church Boxford, 4
Georgetown Road, Boxford, MA 01921. All gifts are tax-deductible to
the
extent permitted by law.
We thank all those dedicated volunteers with hearts
of gold for your support, involvement, and donations. USL would not be a ministry without
you. With you, USL is helping hundreds of people who are desperate for food, clothing, and even a listening ear.
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