Homeless For The Holiday's Encampment Benefit Pantry

HARWICH – For a decade local firefighters and police officers have been participating in the annual “Homeless for the Holidays” program, camping out in Brooks Park while collecting nonperishable food, unwrapped toys, gift cards, and cash donations to assist needy families in the holiday season. 

The public servants will be weathering the cold and potentially inclement conditions once again starting on Wednesday, Dec. 4 through Dec. 8. They’ll spend 103 hours in the park gathering donations that will be turned over to The Family pantry of Cape Cod for distribution.

“Thanks to the amazing support from the community last year, we were again blown away by the amount of donations brought to our site,” said Harwich Fire Department Lt. Paramedic Brad Willis, who coordinates the program. “Over the past three years, the community has donated 15,220 pounds of nonperishable food, $75,187 in cash, checks and gilt card donations, and 9,372 toys. We thank the community for their tremendous support.” Last year the public safety group collected $10,500 in cash and gift cards, 1,500 pounds of food and 1,100 toys,

Willis said in addition to the volunteers standing out in Brooks Park, there will also be a collection at the Christmas Stroll in Harwich Port on Friday, Dec. 6 from 5 p.m. to 8 p.m. at the chamber of commerce headquarters at the Schoolhouse parking lot.  

The “Homeless for the Holidays” program was started in 2002 by Bourne Firefighter Craig Poirier and has expanded to multiple locations across Cape Cod.

For more information and real-time updates, visit and subscribe to the Facebook page, Homeless for the Holidays – Harwich and follow the group on Instagram at @harwichhomelessfortheholidays.