Helping 100 plans to build connections to the community in ways that illuminate an important social issue – homelessness. 3.5 million of our fellow Americans (39% of which are children) have to live out their lives homeless due to situations that may have been out of their own control. They have to sacrifice their safety and their health by living out in the cold streets. Because Americans across the nation and even in our community are unaware of our current health crisis and the sheer numbers of people that have to survive on the streets, many Americans fail to lend a helping hand. The purpose of our website: www.helping100.com and "iCare" initiative is to educate and increase awareness of homelessness, which will help aide in the decline of this problem.

As a Homeless Care Partner of the Atlantic City Rescue Mission, we have helped the health of the homeless by providing personal hygiene care packages that include items such as shampoo, conditioner, shaving items, towels, sanitizing soap, lotion, toothbrushes and toothpaste. In addition to being a Homeless Care Partner, we also volunteer at the AC Rescue Mission to offer our assistance where needed (serving food, reading and playing with the children, tutoring), which provides us with first-hand knowledge and understanding of the current homeless crisis.

Our current projects, providing field trips and participating in the 23rd annual “Hunger Cleanup”** in April 2008, combined with our volunteerism, focuses on the mental health of the women and children (and fathers), as well as their physical health. Our AC Rescue Mission serves over 3000 homeless people each year and houses over 225 men and single women with children each night. Through our efforts to support the Atlantic City Rescue Mission Homeless Shelter we will: • Enrich learning experiences and personal development in grade levels K-12 by asking all students to become involved in our projects, as well as providing information and resource links about homelessness and the Atlantic City Rescue Mission specifically. • Build connections to the community in ways that illuminate important social issues such as community wellness, community involvement, and homelessness. • Foster the development of civic skills for active citizenship and social action. • Promote sustainable partnerships between Helping 100 and the community • Help the homeless population through our volunteer work at the Atlantic City Rescue Mission, the delivery of our 100 “iCare” packages that provides them with necessities that are very much unavailable, and our field trip planning. • Help the Atlantic City Rescue Mission with daily tasks (tutoring, serving food, reading and playing with the children) through our 100 hours of community service.

Helping 100 is a member of the National Coalition for the Homeless. Helping 100 members is made up of students in grades 8-12, from Northfield Community School and Mainland Regional High School. Helping 100’s goal is to end hunger and homelessness in the world. We have three objectives to reach this goal. Our first objective is to launch a widespread awareness campaign on hunger and homelessness through our website, programs and activities. Secondly, we wish to engage many more students in service-learning, encourage their participation in our efforts and make them more globally aware and connected through our iCare conferences and programs. Thirdly, we raise funds and supplies for immediate relief for the homeless and hungry in our community.

Helping 100 formed in 1/2007 as a Tiger Woods Service Learning Club. We applied for and received the YSA Youth Venture grant for their "Helping 100" proposal, which focuses on homelessness in America. We were able to purchase 100 backpacks for the homeless. We collected hygiene items outside of supermarkets (shampoo, condition, combs, soap, wash cloth, band-aids, toothbrush, toothpaste, deodorant, shaving cream, razors, etc.) and put these items in 100 "iCare" backpacks, which were delivered to the Atlantic City Rescue Mission on 6/5/07. We also coordinated with the NCS student council a drive for donating these items and collecting "Pennies for the Penniless" in the Northfield Middle School. We collected many items and over $1000 in monetary donations. We also served lunch and toured the facility. Our group has pledge 100 hours and continues to develop projects to help the homeless, based on our tour and discussion of their needs.