Community Service Council Selling Fleece Blankets to Raise Awareness for Homelessness

By Mackenzie Jutras '22

Media Team

This past Monday, October 21 our community gathered together once again for our weekly morning gathering. On this day, we were lucky enough to hear from the Community Service Council at Marianapolis about one of the many upcoming opportunities to help those in need. Serena Godin ’20 and Nhi “Rosa” Nguyen ’20 spoke on behalf of the Council and told the community about their great idea. 

Originally, as Serena and Rosa mentioned, the plan was to continue the School's annual fundraising tradition, the Homelessness Awareness Night. This was where students would donate a set amount of money to help those in need and got to partially experience what it is like to be homeless, just for one night. They did this by spending a night outside on the Thompson Common and having nothing but each other to keep them company. This was a well-loved tradition, however this year it was not safe due to the threat of EEE. Luckily, we are blessed with an amazing Community Service Council who jumped right on the case and planned out a new idea, that is equally as fun and influential as the last. 

This year, our community has the opportunity to make/buy fleece tie blankets, made by our very own school community. Students can make them themselves during any 10:10 Office Hours, or if they would prefer, they can order one, and even get it specialized to whatever color, length, and thickness they desire. Serena said, “I was very disappointed about the postponement of Homelessness Awareness Night, but this is a perfect alternative that I am sure we will be including every year. Rosa came up with every single detail and it is possibly one of the best ideas.” 

She went on to talk about how this wonderful idea is still extremely effective in spreading awareness about homelessness, because, “The forces of nature are something that every Marianapolis student knows about, whether you're walking from your dorm or are watching a varsity field hockey game. People experiencing homelessness have to face the declining temperatures every day and night. By providing a solution to people who are only experiencing this for an hour or two shows how universally valuable a soft and warm blanket is to everyone.” 

Not only does this sudden change of plans show how capable our students are of dealing with and overcoming obstacles, but also the way in which they actively worked together to find a plausible solution that still spreads the message intended. The fact that this cause meant so much to the students, specifically those in the Community Service Council, showcases exactly what Marianapolis is all about. So please, pick up, order, or even stop by and make yourself a blanket today! Once again, stop by Ms. Krejmas’ room at any 10:10 Office Hours to pick out a blanket, or help make one whilst discussing new ways to help fight the daily struggle of poverty.