'Box City' Event in Muncy Raises Homeless and Hunger Awareness in Lycoming County

Julia Garverick, Sondra Willow and Mikaela Brown, all of Muncy, were just a few of the youths participating in a hunger and homeless awareness event last weekend.

This week marks the observance of National Hunger and Homelessness Awareness Week in the United States, and a group of local teens hoped to make a difference in their community last weekend.

Church members from community youth groups simulated hunger and being homeless in Muncy Creek Township last Friday night by living off of the kindness of others and sleeping in cardboard boxes that were set up to form a “Box City” in the parking lot, situated between Clarkstown United Methodist Church and Messiah Lutheran Church in Clarkstown. Children from Hughesville were anticipated to attend, but football playoffs changed their plans.

Temperatures dipped into the upper 20s overnight, and all the teens were given the option of sleeping in the boxes or sleeping inside, Tammy Kriner, youth leader at Messiah Lutheran said. The project began at 6 p.m., Friday night and ended shortly before noon on Saturday.

“This is our second year of participating in this event,” Kriner said, noting that participation this year included youth from Moreland Township and Watsontown.

Boxes were provided by area appliance dealers, including Beiter’s of Williamsport and Doug Spotts and Freezer's in Hughesville, Kriner added.

The community was encouraged to bring canned food donations to the site, along with winter apparel and blankets or monetary donations. Those items were then donated to the Son Light House, a non-profit organization located at 130 Carpenter Street, Muncy.

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