The NAYP’s monthly Party with a Purpose event is taking on a very special flavor and direction in February, which will be a bowling fundraiser for Friends of Hampshire County Homeless Individuals, based in Northampton. Having golfed for charity in the past with exceptional turnout and results, Spare Time bowling alley in Northampton is the location for this great charity event.

The event will be on Sunday, February 21^st, from 2-4pm, and will be followed by great networking time at the bowling alley bar from 4-5:30pm. This event is open to all, and you can preregister now for $20, which includes a $10 tax-deductible donation, unlimited bowling for the full two hours, shoe rental, pizza, and soda. Each lane can accommodate up to 6 people, but you don’t need a team to attend! We’ll match you with other bowlers, and you’ll meet new people, getting to network and bowl at the same time!

Paying at the door on February 21^st is also fine, and the charge will be $25 (cash or check ONLY). To sign up now, go to http://www.thenayp.com/bowling.

The purpose of Friends of Hampshire County Homeless Individuals Inc. is to provide financial and volunteer support for the Hampshire County Interfaith Shelter for homeless individuals and associated programs.

The Hampshire County Interfaith Shelter is an emergency “overflow” shelter for homeless adults in Hampshire County, offering warm beds and hot meals during the six coldest months of the year.  The twenty-bed site at 43 Center Street in Northampton (plus a six-bed annex in Easthampton) is a cooperative effort among the City of Northampton, the 400+ volunteers of the Friends of the Hampshire County Homeless Individuals (the Friends), and ServiceNet, which provides professional staffing during the hours of operation.

The guests at the shelter are people who have reached a crisis in their lives; they have nowhere to go and often are too traumatized to know how to get their lives back on track.

In addition to the shelter, the FHCHI funds six auxiliary programs: Medical Care; Dental Care; Prescription copayments; Boot program (voucher for winter footwear); First and last months’ rent subsidy; Funds for coffee and newspapers for support and counseling programs for the homeless.

“Happy Frog,” a sculpture/bank located on the corner of Main and Center Streets, is a special project of the Friends.  All donations made to “Happy Frog” provide food for the hungry of our community.  Presently, donations are supporting two free lunches per week at St. Mary’s Church in Northampton.