Students invited to sleepover aimed at raising awareness about homelessness
On March 1, high school students from Snohomish County will have a unique kind of sleepover: the CAMP-IN To Fight Homelessness and Hunger. CAMP-IN is a new event where students get pledges and then spend the night in a “homeless shelter,” where they will eat in a “soup kitchen” and experience some of the typical barriers that face homeless people in our area.
The money raised supports services to fight hunger and homelessness through Volunteers of America Western Washington (VOAWW). For every $100 raised, students will have their name entered to win an iPad Mini or other prizes. Credit is also available for volunteer hours.
The event will feature speakers, including a local family that was recently homeless.
For more information or to register, visit campinvoaww.tumblr.com. Deadline is Feb. 27.
Thought this was a great idea until I read down to the part about the iPad mini and other prizes being offered. Do students really need this kind of incentive to make a difference? I don’t think so, and I challenge the organizers to remove it next time. I believe they would find that young people do want to make a difference…period. They may even feel insulted that you currently don’t think so.
Michelle Van Tassell, I agree with you. If these students are going to get the something like the full experience of what it is like to be homeless, then it should be without the possibility of a prize after the event. Plus, why not make this be a weekend or week-long event in the summer, so they can really get the feel of it? While one night is great, it would be more meaningful if it were a longer thing, for a weekend and longer, all day and all night. Good luck to the high school students to get lots of pledges and then get to participate in this. We need way more “hands-on” experiences like this will be, to help everyone understand better what homelessness is about. Hurray for VOAWW for sponsoring this event.