Shantytown

On November 13, the Green County Courthouse lawn will be turned into a shantytown for children.

That's not a sentence that we read every day, eh?

This is being done as part of an event sponsored by the Homelessness Prevention Coalition of Green County. There has always been homelessness in Green County, but the statistics have gone up significantly over the last two years. Green County Human Services has seen 143 families that were homeless or near-homeless this year alone; in these households were 139 adults and 137 children. This number is already higher than the 2009 statistics (112 homeless households).

The basic idea for shantytown is a simple one. Youth will bring small tents or large cardboard boxes and set up a shanty-town for one night on the courthouse lawn. November evenings in Wisconsin are cold and uncomfortable, a start demonstration to the participants of what homeless people experience. This is a fundraising event for the coalition, so participants may make "get me out of my shanty" fundraising cell phone calls to raise donations. There will a soup kitchen-style food line and speakers as well. The event will last from 5 to 9 pm.

If you need more information, contact Bridget Mouchon, Family Living Educator at the Green County UW-Extension office, 608-328-9440.

Our neighbors need our help in these difficult economic times. If you receive a call from one of the shantytown participants, please give what you can. If you want to participate, bring a tent or a box and experience the chill for at least part of one evening.