Cold, hard truth
Students brave nasty weather to learn about the plight of the homeless
After spending the night shivering in the shelter of only a cardboard box, these kids knew they'd be able to return to their nice warm homes the next day.
Such, however, is not the case for the thousands of homeless in DuPage County.
On Oct. 25, several dozen youth from St. Mary Margaret Parish and neighboring churches observed Sleep Out Saturday for the Homeless. A way of creating empathy while raising funds and awareness about homelessness, the event gives the kids a glimpse into what some of their peers' lives might be like.
Sleep Out Saturday for the Homeless was created by Bridge Communities Transitional Housing Program in Glen Ellyn. Its own observation of the event, which will include hundreds more area participants, will be held in early November. Candy Rice, director of Youth Services at St. Mary Margaret, scheduled theirs earlier due to a programming conflict.
Rice said she spends a lot of time talking with the kids about the homeless, who are much more present in DuPage County than they might think.
"They need to understand that there are homeless teens in their schools that they're passing every day," she said.
Kelsey's twin brother, Tyler, also participated in this year's Sleep Out Saturday. He said it was only recently that he realized there was a homeless problem in DuPage County.
"About a year ago we were collecting food for the hungry. I never knew it was going to people in our area. I had always thought it went somewhere else," he said.
After a prayer service, guest speaker John Donahue-Grossman told the kids about his experiences impersonating a homeless person for many years.
"He dresses as 'Ray the Homeless Person' and will come on site for different events," Rice said. "He spoke with the kids about homelessness and what it means, and as he spoke to them he became the character Ray the Homeless Person with his costume and movements and speech. He gave examples about how people react to him when he is pretending to be homeless."
Rice said he shared stories that were very touching, and that the kids were "enthralled by him."
"He told us that he created his character from talking to homeless people and working at food pantries. He explained that everyone has a story. No one chose to be homeless and they each have a different story," Kelsey said.
"He had real-life experiences," Tyler said. "He taught us that homeless people are just normal people like us, but going through rough times."
After the speaker, the kids were instructed to construct the boxes in which they spent the night.
"They bring sleeping bags and a tarp and a ton of newspaper to insulate their box like homeless people do," Rice said.
As in previous years it started to rain after midnight.
"Most of the kids' boxes were covered with tarps and the ones that weren't, we covered," she said, adding that one boy had decided to sleep out without a box. When it rained, she said, "One parent made a tent over his face with cardboard and then covered him with a plastic tablecloth."
Kids were required to raise at least $60 in sponsorship for the event, but some raised more. In all, the participants raised more than $3,000.
"I raised $100. That shelters someone for four nights," Kelsey said. She added that to her, $25 per night is "no big deal. We take that from our parents and go out and see a movie." Using that same amount for the basics of shelter and food is humbling, she said.
Proceeds from the evening will benefit Bridge Communities, PADS, the St. Vincent DePaul Ministry at St. Margaret Mary and the church's Youth Group summer mission trip.
Kelsey said that while Sleep Out Saturday is a fun event, the serious message isn't lost.
"I think more about what I have and don't take anything for granted. I think about it and it's horrible. I want to start giving back more and I know how fortunate I am," she said.
