Thursday, November 5, 2026
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73 ° Cloudy
Homelessness doesn't always look the way people expect — and it isn't limited to big cities.
Even in affluent Bucks County, families and individuals are struggling to find stable housing, keep food on the table and navigate unexpected hardships. The Bucks County Housing Link receives more than 2,000 calls a month from people experiencing a housing crisis, according to Murielle Kelly, director of housing services for Family Service Association of Bucks County.
“Some people don’t even know that there is a shelter in Bucks County and they live right here in the community," Kelly said.
National Hunger and Homelessness Awareness Week, running Nov. 15 to 21, will give residents an opportunity to better understand those challenges and learn how they can help. Now in its fifth year locally, the annual campaign organized by the Bucks County Housing Link will include a memorial service, a virtual information session on winter shelters, community discussions, volunteer opportunities and an art exhibit featuring work by people who have experienced homelessness.
The Housing Link is a public and private partnership to respond to the housing crisis in Bucks County. Family Service Association of Bucks County is a member of the Housing Link and is leading the annual campaign.
The effort brings together housing providers, nonprofits and government agencies to raise awareness and encourage residents to get involved.
“This is a national initiative and we have been taking part of it for a long time, but the work happens year round,” said Kelly. “We support our clients with those needs every day so it’s nice to be able to showcase what we do on a daily basis.”
Kelly said the week is also an opportunity to help residents understand the challenges people face and learn how they can contribute through donations and volunteer work.
“We want the community to realize that hunger and homelessness exist, and just because many people think Bucks County is affluent, it exists here,” she said.
Rising housing costs and wages that have not kept pace are putting pressure on families, making food pantries a critical resource. Homelessness can also follow a job loss, illness, an unexpected expense or the loss of a spouse's income.
The effects can be particularly difficult for children, who may struggle with anxiety and uncertainty about where they will live or whether they will be able to maintain friendships.
“There’s shame in not having a house where you can invite your friend over,” Kelly said. “They worry about where they will be next, will they have a place to live, no stability.”
National Hunger and Homelessness Awareness Week activities will offer residents different ways to learn about these challenges and support the organizations working to address them.
The schedule begins Sunday, Nov. 15, with a Homeless Memorial and Remembrance Day potluck meal at Doylestown Presbyterian Church at noon. The public is invited to share a meal and attend a nondenominational service honoring people who have experienced homelessness, as well as staff members who have died while working in the field.
Organizers will read the names of those being remembered, along with brief descriptions of their lives. Attendees are encouraged to bring canned goods for a food drive honoring the late Chris Cramp, a Lower Bucks street outreach leader who died in a train accident with his son.
Kelly said the gathering will bring together service providers and people experiencing homelessness to remember those who have died and recognize their lives.
A virtual Code Blue information session is planned for Monday, Nov. 16, with participants encouraged to wear purple to raise awareness of hunger and homelessness.
Representatives from the county's three Code Blue shelter programs will discuss their locations, operations, needs and plans for the winter season, which typically runs from December through March. The session will also provide an opportunity for questions and information about volunteering.
Kelly said shelters rely on volunteers to operate, making continued recruitment important even though the programs have been able to open in recent years. The Code Blue season will be starting soon, and volunteers are needed.
For volunteer information, contact the following locations:
Upper Bucks: upperbuckscodeblue.org
Central Bucks: co2ssh.org/new-volunteer-training
Southern Bucks: ahtn.org/volunteer-with-ahtn
“Fortunately, all of them have been able to open because they have committed volunteers each year but we like to continue to recruit more so we can keep them open,” Kelly said.
Last winter, at least 63 people stayed in Code Blue shelters on a typical night when the programs were open, she said, and providers anticipate greater demand this year.
The virtual Code Blue information session is open to the public. Information and streaming details are available at buckshousinglink.org/hhaw.
Fair housing training is scheduled for Tuesday, Nov. 17. Seating is limited, and registration is required through the Housing Link website.
The training will give participants an opportunity to learn about fair housing rights. Kelly noted that fair housing training is offered at other times and locations as well. Visit equalhousing.org for more information.
On Wednesday, Nov. 18, the Bucks County commissioners will recognize Hunger and Homelessness Awareness Week with a proclamation at 10:30 a.m. in the commissioners' meeting room, 55 E. Court St. in Doylestown.
The presentation will highlight the work of the Housing Link and its partners, including the number of people served and the impact of local food pantries and housing programs. Streaming information will be available through the Housing Link website.
Two community discussions are planned for Thursday, Nov. 19, at 6 p.m. to give residents opportunities to ask questions and learn about services available in Central and Lower Bucks County.
The Central Bucks discussion will take place at Salem United Church of Christ in Doylestown, while the Southern Bucks event will be held at SOZO Communities in Penndel. The events will bring together service providers, residents and people who have experienced homelessness to discuss issues including hunger, housing instability and available assistance.
Kelly said the goal is to connect people with organizations they may not know exist while encouraging open conversations about the causes of homelessness.
“We want to remove the stigma about homelessness and hunger, so when you hear this information, you realize that homelessness has different faces; it’s not just one thing that causes homelessness,” she said.
On Friday, Nov. 20, volunteers are invited to help organize donations at the United Way HELP Center in Lower Bucks County from 1 to 4 p.m. To volunteer, visit the HHAW landing page on the Housing Link website at buckshousinglink.org/hhaw to sign a waiver.
The center works with business partners that donate new items, including food, clothing, linens and household goods. Volunteers sort, pack, label, stock and organize donations so people moving into homes can obtain needed items at no cost.
Kelly said the annual volunteer day is intended not only to get work done but also to encourage people to continue helping throughout the year.
“The hope is to recruit these volunteers that come for the day to continue to come and help to sort and organize and help out here,” she said.
The week will conclude Saturday, Nov. 21, with a community engagement art exhibit from 10 a.m. to noon at SOZO Communities in Penndel.
“Art for Change features the talents and creative voices of artists experiencing homelessness,” said Reach Out Executive Director Desiree Arney. “Through their work, we invite our community to look beyond labels and assumptions and see people with stories, skills, dreams, and something meaningful to contribute.
"Homelessness is a circumstance. It does not define a person’s identity, talent, or worth," Arney continued. "Our goal is to challenge the stereotypes that too often define how people experiencing homelessness are seen and treated. Each piece creates an opportunity for connection, understanding, and respect.”
Partners involved in the planning of National Hunger and Homelessness Awareness Week include: Bucks County and Community Development, Bucks County Human Services The HUB, Bucks County Housing Group, Coalition to Shelter and Support the Homeless, Bucks County Opportunity Council, Penndel Mental Health Center/PATH, United Way of Bucks Help Center, Reach Out Foundation, Bucks County Department of Behavioral Health Developmental Programs, and Doylestown FISH.
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