YORK, Pa. — What would you look like come Friday if the outfit you chose on Monday, was the same one you had to wear all week long?
This is a reality for many people in the community.
Whether homeless, escaping domestic violence or simply out of work – a closet full of clothes is just one of the many things housed people can take for granted.
Lifepath Christian Ministries and Unstoppable You Ministries are encouraging you to step into someone else's shoes for a short time. The "Wear it for a Week" challenge can have a positive impact on both participants and those in need of assistance.
The rules are simple.
Choose one outfit to wear for one week.
Despite spills, stains, rips or smells – no changing your clothes.
"We're not trying to exploit anyone or make fun of, but we want people to change their perspective of what it's like to be homeless," Jennifer Foxworthy, founder and CEO of Unstoppable You Ministries, said. "What it's like to flee in the middle of the night from an abusive situation with just the clothes on your back."
"Many of our guests don't have a choice," Dawn Squire with LifePath Christian Ministries said. "Within 24 hours, their whole life is turned upside down, and they don't have a choice of what they can wear and to feel like they're living in the world with dignity."
It's a simulation that requires sacrifice.
"So wearing that one outfit? I know for me last year it was life changing, because I had spills and stains, and how do I make this look presentable?" Foxworthy reflected.
Participants may feel a sense of shame or embarrassment that may help you think twice about the quality of the clothes you donate to charity.
"Don't just throw throw the rags in the bin kind of thing," Squire said. "That people absolutely need those quality pieces to walk into an office, to walk into their workplace, and it does make a difference."
For those who do sign up, organizers say it is a privilege to participate – because they have a choice.
"We just want people to come alongside, participate and just live a few days in the life of millions of people in our country around the world that deal with housing insecurity," Foxworthy said.
The challenge is a glimpse inside a world many of us shy away from, and an opportunity to see things from a different perspective.
Wear it for a Week starts Monday, Nov. 6 and wraps up Friday at WellSpan Park with a luncheon and fashion show.
"And so we want to be able to have that conversation about why we choose to wear a single outfit and then come together in community on Friday at the luncheon and discuss some of the revelations and discuss some of the additional ways that we can we can connect as a community and be engaged," Squire said.
To learn more about the challenge, sign up or sponsor a participant, click here.