MONTGOMERY, Ala. The Mid-Alabama Coalition for the Homeless (MACH) will host “One Night Without a Bed” on Friday, Nov. 7, at First Christian Church to help raise awareness and funds for the alarmingly increasing number of individuals and families experiencing homelessness in the River Region.
Participants will spend the night outside in their own tents, sleeping bags, or cars to experience just a fraction of the hardship faced by the region’s homeless population. The Salvation Army will provide a soup dinner to participants via their Canteen Truck.
When: Friday, Nov. 7, 6 p.m. – Saturday, Nov. 8, 6 a.m.
Where: First Christian Church, 1705 Taylor Road, Montgomery, AL 36117
To Register: https://bit.ly/3IHHN9X
The event comes at a critical time. In the last year in Montgomery, Autauga, Elmore, Lowndes, and Bullock counties:
- The number of children without shelter has increased by 675%
- Families experiencing homelessness rose by 54%
- The number of unsheltered individuals grew by 82%
“On any given night in our community, hundreds have no safe, dry, or warm place to lay their heads,” explains Chessie Mann, MACH executive director. “The goal of ‘One Night Without a Bed’ is to raise awareness of the vital work that each organization in our community provides. While the event simulates what many unsheltered homeless individuals experience, it is so much more. It is a call to action! We invite the community to sleep out with us by giving up the comfort of their own beds for one night to support those who go without every night.”
MACH, a HUD-designated Continuum of Care for the five-county area, has partnered with Friendship Mission and The Salvation Army to organize the event. Participants are encouraged to bring donations of toilet paper, bottled water, travel-sized toiletries, blankets, winter gloves, hats, scarves, and socks to support MACH and its partner organizations.
MACH provides street outreach, rapid rehousing, and homelessness prevention services across Montgomery, Autauga, Bullock, Lowndes, and Elmore counties. Donations can be made online at midalhomeless.org/donate. Sponsorship opportunities are also available for businesses and organizations, along with in-kind donations such as blankets, clothing, and hygiene items. MACH also partners with local groups to coordinate donation drives.
For more information about MACH or to make a donation, visit midalhomeless.org.
All rights reserved, Gumptown Magazine, LLC. Copyright 2025.
