Project HOPE

Creating Community
Supporting One Another

Connecting to the World Around Us

Project HOPE

Thank you to the students who participated in the 2011 Project HOPE!

Project HOPE 2011: March 4-5, 2011
Thank you to the following for their support of Project HOPE:
Blount Fine Foods, Bristol Bakery, Holy Angels Church,
Krazy Korner, Olga's Cup and Saucer,
Thrivent Financial for Lutherans

CLICK HERE for Frequently Asked Questions and More Information.

On March 4/5, 2011, Beyond Our Walls (BOW), will partner with the Interact Club at Barrington High School, to run an 18 hour program on hunger and homelessness. The Interact program, entitled “Sit-in for America”, is scheduled for Friday, March 4, from 6-11 PM at BHS and will be an evening of community service related activities. The program will be open to any and all high school students. For further information about the sit-in, please contact Deborah Deese at BHS, deesed@bpsmail.org.

“Project HOPE”, run by BOW, is scheduled to begin on the night of March 4^thfollowing the sit-in with a sleep over at a local church and continuing into the following day with a bread/soup line at Beneficent Congregational Church located in Providence. Students will be required to register in advance to participate in Project Hope and on-line registration will begin February 28th at 6pm! Space is limited to 30 students for this part of the program and will be on a first-come, first served basis - please check back often for more information! (We will have a waiting list of up to 10 students.) Specific questions can be sent to projecthope@bowri.org.

Frequently Asked Questions!

What is Project HOPE?
Project HOPE is an exciting opportunity for high school students to come together as a community to shed light on the plight of the homeless and hungry in our state and make a difference in the lives of those less fortunate.

Where and When?
Project HOPE 2011 will take place from Friday evening, March 4 through Saturday afternoon, March 5. This year's Project HOPE has partnered with the Interact Club at Barrington High School to run an 18 hour program on hunger and homelessness. The Interact program, entitled "Sit-in for America", is scheduled for Friday, March 4 from 6-11pm at BHS and will be an evening of community service related activities. The program will be open to any and all high school student. For further information specifically about the sit-in, please contact Deborah Deese at BHS, deesed@bpsmail.org to participate in this part of the program.

Project HOPE will begin on the night of March 4th following the sit-in with a sleep over at St. James Lutheran Church in Barrington and continuing into the following day with a bread/soup line at Beneficent Congregational Church in Providence. Space is limited for this portion of the program to 30 students and will be on a first-come, first-served basis. (There will be a waiting list of up to 10 students.) The students will report to St. James to check in between 11-11:30pm (post the sit-in event) where they will spend the night in an indoor “sleep-out”. The students will drive or be driven to Beneficent Congregational Church, Providence, early Saturday morning, March 5th, where they will prepare a bread/soup line.

Who may participate?
Project HOPE will involve high school students who live in Barrington AND/OR attend high school in the town OR worship at a congregation in Barrington. Please note: due to space limitations, we are limited to accepting only 30 participants for the sleep-out portion of the program (including March 5th at Beneficent). Once 30 participants have been reached, registration will be taken down. If you are still interested in participating, please email us at projecthope@bowri.org to be placed on a waiting list of 10 people. (We cannot guarantee your participation.)

How do I participate?
1. Registration will open online on February 28, 2011 at 6pm. Please read below for more information or email projecthope@bowri.org with questions.

2. Participants must download the permission slip HERE which includes a medical release form. You MUST bring all pages of this SIGNED permission slip with you on March 4th (completed permission slip MUST be signed by a parent or guardian and the student participating) in order to participate in Project HOPE. You will not be allowed entrance to Project HOPE without this permission slip.

3. Participants may choose to download a sponsorship letter HERE and collect pledges to support Project HOPE! It is not required that you collect sponsorships, however if you choose to, we encourage you to collect a minimum of $20. Students on the committee to plan the event will help decide which organization(s) sponsorship monies will be donated to. Please plan to bring your sponsorship funds with you to Project HOPE, or send to BOW, Attn: Project HOPE Sponsorships, PO Box 567, Barrington, RI 02806.

What should I bring?
Beyond Our Walls will provide an indoor space for shelter. Bring your school id or license. Participants should ensure that they arrive with a sleeping bag, blanket, and adequate warm sleeping clothing. Suggested additional items include acoustic musical instruments such as guitars and hand drums. The use of electronics including cameras, cell phones and handheld video game systems are discouraged during the sleep-out portion of the event (participants are encouraged to document their experience at Beneficent on March 5th). Outside food and drink will not be permitted within Project HOPE. Backpacks and personal items will be submitted to a check upon sign-in. Participants should also plan to bring canned goods to donate to the RI Community Food Bank, H.U.G.S. (hats, underwear, gloves and socks) which will be distributed to the homeless in Providence, as well as sponsorship money they have collected.

What can I expect as a participant?
Toilet facilities will be provided. Simple snacks and drinks will be provided. Adult chaperones will be on site throughout Project HOPE. Parent and guardian questions prior to Project HOPE can be directed to projecthope@bowri.org. This event will take place rain, snow or shine. If for any reason the participant needs to leave the event prior to the event close on March 5, a parent/guardian will be notified before they are allowed to leave.

Am I eligible to receive community service hours by participating in Project HOPE?
Yes! All students will receive a community service hours form upon completion of Project HOPE upon request.

What if I'm not a student but would really like to participate?
Project HOPE is more than just an event for high school students - it's a community event to raise awareness about homelessness and hunger in our state! There's many ways for an adult community member to participate in Project HOPE. Examples are: consider donating some H.U.G.S. (hats, underwear, gloves and socks) which will be distributed to the homeless in Providence, bring canned goods to donate to the RI Community Food Bank, or volunteer to be an adult chaperone. If you're interested in taking advantage of any of these opportunities or if you have additional questions, please email projecthope@bowri.org and someone from Beyond Our Walls will be in touch with you.

Please CLICK HERE for Project HOPE information and Frequently Asked Questions. ***NOTE: Please re-read once registration has opened as some of this information may change slightly.

Want to see pictures from past events? CLICK HERE!