HOPE Calloway is a non-profit organization in Calloway County that provides a comprehensive approach to tackling homelessness in our community. HOPE Calloway's biggest community awareness and fundraiser event of the year is A Night On The Town. ANOTT is an event that provides a powerful opportunity for our community to learn about homelessness, raise awareness for our friends without an address, and experience a bit of what it might be like to be outside, overnight, in the hottest part of our humid Kentucky summers.

Box dwellers commit to spending six hours outside in a cardboard box. They come from all works of life: local government leaders, police officers, pastors, business leaders, students, grandmas and grandpas, moms and dads. Each Box Dweller is challenged to raise funds to help support our efforts.

HOPE Calloway will assist box dwellers with fundraising goals by launching a Facebook fundraiser for you. To start a Facebook fundraiser, text a picture to Jennifer Riley at 270-227-7739 that she can use in the Facebook post. Also include some info about yourself: where you work, your family, why you wanted to be a box dweller. Please do this ASAP.

In addition, each box dweller must attend one box dwellers' meeting. These meetings are very important. These will be held at the Ellis Center located on Ellis Street directly behind the HOPE Calloway office. Meeting times are:

• Tuesday, March 14th, at 6 pm
• Thursday, March 16th, at Noon
• Tuesday, March 21st, at 6 pm

If you are coming during your lunch break, feel free to bring something to eat. Again, each box dweller is required to attend ONE meeting.

ANOTT will take place on Friday, April 21st, at Murray Calloway County Central Park from 5 to 10 pm. We will have a closing candlelight ceremony that will begin at 9:30 for everyone in attendance. We can't wait for this special event where we will come together as a community and shine a light on homelessness in Murray/Calloway County.