Help Emmitsburg’s “Homeless” Mayor

James Rada, Jr.

On March 2, Emmitsburg Mayor Frank Davis will be homeless… for a day.

For the second year, Davis will be staying outside from 8:00 a.m. on Monday, March 2, to 8:00 a.m. on Tuesday, March 3. It is part of a special project he started last year called “Spend a Day in Their Shoes.”

He said he came up with the idea after learning that the Emmitsburg Food Bank was getting low on goods, and the Seton Center was seeing an influx of new clients. “I could see there was a need in our community that wasn’t being met,” Davis said.

That thought stayed with him until he had what he calls “a 3 o’clock in the morning idea,” meaning it came to him when he was tired.

So, last year, he sat out on the street in front of the Vigilant Hose Company on West Main Street, collecting food and money, which he then donated to the Seton Center and the Emmitsburg Food Bank. During that 24-hour period, he collected 1,500 food items and over $9,000.

His goal is to beat that this year, which he believes can be done.

“Emmitsburg is second to none when it comes to helping others,” Davis said.

Besides the food bank and Seton Center, a portion of this year’s donations will also go to Emmitsburg Elementary School. He feels the teachers and counselors there are on the front lines and have relationships with the students that allow them to identify those in need.

So, if you’re out and about on March 2 or just want to help out, stop by with a donation and chat with Mayor Davis. He recalled that nearly everyone who donated last year also stayed to talk with him for a little while, even if it was 3:00 a.m. Not only did it help him stay awake, but it also helped to pass the time.

“It can be a struggle to stay awake,” he said. “Also, it was cold, and it doesn’t look like it will be much better this year.”

He said the first thing he did last year when he got home was take a hot shower. He tried to stay awake until the normal time he went to bed, but he wound up falling asleep at 4:00 p.m.

But it was the kind of exhaustion that comes from knowing he had accomplished something and helped others in need.

Donations can also be dropped off at the town office if you can’t make it out to Mayor Davis when he’s on the street.

Mayor Frank Davis spends 24 hours on Main Street in Emmitsburg on March 3, 2025, in his first “A Day In Their Shoes” Fundraising Challenge. This year’s challenge is on March 2.