BRATTLEBORO — On Friday, May 19, Groundworks Collaborative will host the fifth annual “Camp for a Common Cause” on the Brattleboro Common.
This fund- and awareness-raising event has been a great success each year since it began in 2013 as a collaborative fundraiser to support both Morningside Shelter and the Brattleboro Area Drop-In Center. The two organizations went on to merge in June 2015 to form Groundworks Collaborative.
All funds raised through Camp for a Common Cause support Groundworks' efforts to house our neighbors experiencing homelessness.
“The Seasonal Overflow Shelter closed for the season on April 17,” Groundworks' Executive Director Josh Davis said in a news release, “and the Shelter remains without a permanent home for next season, which makes this community campout all the more poignant.
“Upon closing for the season, all we have to offer each SOS guest is a tent, and we do all we can to stay in touch. Working together as a community, we know we can do more for our neighbors in need.”
This year's Camp for a Common Cause will again feature a family-friendly community barbecue with live music from The Fantastic Partners and M.O.D. & Friends. Tickets for the barbecue will be for sale at the event.
Whether camping or not, all are welcome to attend the barbecue and join in activities.
The goal is to fill the Common with tents. “We want to encourage as many people as possible to come out on May 19 and pitch a tent for a great cause,” says Groundworks' Director of Operations Rhianna Kendrick. “It doesn't cost anything to camp, but we do ask campers to raise funds to support our work.”
Participating Campers are asked to set a minimum fundraising goal of $100 per person to help house our neighbors experiencing homelessness. All contributions are fully tax-deductible. Campers may begin setting up tents on the Common from 4 p.m. on Friday, May 19, and are asked to pack up by 10 a.m. on Saturday, May 20, after a light breakfast.
Raffle tickets featuring two great prizes - a complete camping package (including a two-night stay at any Vermont State Park campground, a tent, sleeping bags, camp chairs, a lantern, and a s'mores kit), and a chauffeur-driven limo trip to the Connecticut casino of your choice - will be for sale during and in advance of the event to help meet the fundraising goal.
Tickets are $5 each, or 5 for $20, and are available online, or from a Groundworks Board member.