Living in Massachusetts, we all understand how the New England cold can be, especially during the winter. Two Westborough residents Scott Henderson and John Bogaert acknowledged this weather and couldn’t help but think about the people who have to endure this cold all day with no other option.

Henderson shares, “We discussed the coldness was fine for half an hour–hour while skating or hiking, but would be tough every night.”

Henderson and Bogaert began to discuss how this weather must affect those who suffer from homelessness, and began “A Night in the Cold” fundraiser to “draw awareness to the plight of homelessness in a small way,” Henderson says.

So Bogaert and Henderson choose to stay out all night in a parking lot, preferably on a cold day, on the last Saturday of February. They set up a donation site and publicize on local Facebook groups with the hope that people think: “Oh man, that’s rough I’d hate to do that, especially every night.”

Although Henderson and Bogaert, “don’t do it quite like the homeless” as they sleep in sleeping bags and heavy coats, they are able to bring awareness to an important issue while living in a town where most residents live above the national average household income.

Henderson notes, “Living in Westborough, it’s easy to not think about it (homelessness) often or see it often, or to throw a blind eye to it, but it’s still there.”

Update: The event was held on February 25, 2023. It was the third year of A Night in the Cold, and Bogaert and Henderson plan to continue the annual fundraiser.

You can still donate to the cause at donate2homeless.org