On Friday night, as most people were eating dinner or getting ready to go out partying, one brave group of students spent the night sleeping in rough cardboard boxes on campus in order to raise money and awareness to fight homelessness, an issue deeply felt in Buffalo.
The Community Action Corps' annual "Night Out" event was met with the usual chilly weather and biting winds, as it also aimed to provide students with volunteer opportunities for working in schools, homeless shelters and hospitals.
Karen Maker, executive director of CAC, said homelessness is not something that necessarily directly affects most students, but is a very visible part of most cities.
According to the National Homeless Coalition, homelessness is, in most cases, a temporary condition, but one that affects people of all ages and races.
The NHC also states that the most common victims of homelessness are women who have suffered domestic violence, veterans and people with mental health disorders.
On Friday, close to 50 students participated in the event, hoping to raise homelessness awareness. The night involved music, games and food. Peanut butter and jelly sandwiches were also provided to parallel the experience of what would be handed out at homeless shelters.
The event involved participants camping out outside the back of the Student Union for the night with nothing but cardboard boxes over their heads and blankets to keep them warm through.
To keep themselves busy, participants played games, cards and Frisbee, while also constructing their own houses from cardboard and duct tape.
Their bedding was made up of as many blankets as they could find. Among the many groups who participated were the Chess Club, FASA, and Alpha Phi Omega.
Laura Wiklund, freshman biology major, said the experience had a major impact on her and her awareness of what the homeless population experiences everyday, especially in the winter months.
"I was freezing", said Wiklund. "It was really upsetting to think about people that have to sleep outside like that every night, and its only September. Think about January."
Although the event did attract a significant number of participants, some students feel that more participation would have been beneficial in helping students understand what the homeless population endures.
"It would have been good if more people had joined in,' said Nathaniel Haye, a junior American Studies major. "It really made me think about what homeless people have to go through every night."
The group took donations that will be donated to the Buffalo City Mission, a local organization that provides food and shelter to the Buffalo's poor and homeless.
According to Maker, the CAC has a long history with the City Mission. The group offers their volunteer services by donating food as well as offering their time as cooks and servers.
Maker said homelessness is a more serious issue than most would think and the recent tragedy caused by Hurricane Katrina has shown the world that homelessness is a growing problem in the United States.
"Homelessness is something that most of us never have to deal with. Especially after hurricane Katrina, we can see how major this issue really is," said Maker.
Photo: Courtesy of Matthew Messina, from the RMBERS' Instagram page
