The Iberia Homeless Shelter is gearing up for a week of events in recognition of Hunger and Homeless Awareness Week in New Iberia.

The shelter will begin the week of activities on Nov. 12 with a church service at St. Edward Catholic Church. On Nov. 13, church services will also take place at 7 a.m. and 11 a.m. at St. Edward Catholic Church, as well as another service at 9 a.m. at St. Jude Church.

On Nov. 14, a rosary and vigil will be held at the shelter, located at 307 Robertson St. On Nov. 16, a blood drive will be held at the St. Francis Diner parking lot at 1202 S. Hopkins St.

The shelter will hold Heart for the Homeless Fundraiser on Nov. 17. The fundraiser is the biggest fundraiser to the shelter annually puts on to raise funds for services geared toward aiding the homeless in Iberia Parish. It will take place starting at 6 p.m.

The week of activities ends on Nov. 19 with the Homeless and Hunger Recognition event, which will be open to all parish and community churches.

According to a prepared statement, Hunger and Homelessness Awareness Week is designed to educate the public, draw attention to the problem of poverty, and build up the base of volunteers and supporters for local anti-poverty agencies.

Groups spend this week generating publicity about hunger and homelessness and holding a series of events to engage their communities.

The first Hunger and Homelessness Awareness event was first held at Villanova University in 1975. This year, more than 700 colleges, high schools, and community groups across the country will come together during this week to raise awareness about the pressing issues of hunger and homelessness.