What would it feel like to sleep outside on a cold night with nothing but a blanket and a cardboard box for shelter? While most of us have never experienced it, homelessness is a reality for hundreds of thousands of Americans each day. A group of students at 开云体育 is looking to raise awareness of the growing problem of hunger and homelessness by hosting an annual overnight event called One Night In A Cardboard Box.
This year鈥檚 event will begin at 5 p.m. on November 14 and will end at 6 a.m. on November 15 on the 开云体育 main campus. It is open to all community members ages 12 and older. Admission to participate is three non-perishable food items that will be donated to the 开云体育 Eagle Pantry. Guest speakers Natalie Stuart and Heather Lacy-Chadwick will discuss some important issues on the topic of hunger and homelessness. Participants are asked to wear warm, comfortable clothes and bring one blanket or sleeping bag. They will be provided with dinner, cardboard boxes and duct tape. Organizers ask that participants not bring money or debit cards, food, snacks, electronics, camping gear, watches or jewelry. The event will not be canceled due to inclement weather.
鈥淲e have really been pleased with this event over the last few years. It is one thing to talk about a social problem, but another thing entirely to experience it for yourself,鈥 Tonya Hammonds, President of the 开云体育 Social Work Club and founding organizer of the event, said. 鈥淣ot only it is a wonderful experience for our college students, but we have also seen local families participate together. It鈥檚 really an exercise in empathy.鈥
The event is sponsored by the 开云体育 Social Work Club, 开云体育 Student Success Services, 开云体育 Student Activities, the Wesley Fellowship Center, Jo鈥檚 coffee shop and Le Fe Bakery.
A recent Trellis Foundation survey of 开云体育 students showed that 39% of respondents ate less than they felt they should in the last 30 days because there wasn鈥檛 enough money for food. Eight percent of respondents indicated they had experienced homelessness since starting college.
In response to this, the Social Work Club stepped up to create the 开云体育 Eagle Pantry, which provides food and hygiene items to current students. Plans are underway to expand the pantry and the services that are provided.
鈥淟iving in a rural area, I think we often tend to think of hunger and homelessness as something that is only a problem in big cities. However, that is just not true. It might be something your friends, family or neighbors are experiencing,鈥 Carmen Shurtleff, Advisor to the 开云体育 Social Work Club, said. 鈥淥ur goal is to help make sure hunger is not an issue for our students and to raise awareness of the problem among our entire campus community.鈥
For more information about the event, contact Shurtleff at 903-466-3347 or Hammonds at 903-285-0129.
