So I participated in this event over the weekend called A Night On The Street. Basically, about 200 to 300 teens and their adult leaders spend the night sleeping in boxes to raise homelessness awareness. It’s a pretty cool event, if you ever get the chance to attend.
They have speakers talk to you about what it is like on the street; some of whom have personal experiences that you wouldn’t even believe. It’s the kind of stories that you see in the movies, but you never quite identify with them. Seeing a person that has actually gone through one of those situations and has come out the other side, it really sells the point home.
Homelessness is a real problem in America, and real people suffer from it; people whom you may even know. It was interesting to hear that a lot of homeless teens actually go to school. They try to blend in, they wear cloths like everybody else, they try to learn, because they see education as a way out of their problem. But then there’s the flip side of life on the street; for chronic homeless cases, in order to survive you have to learn to shut yourself off from people. Fighting and yelling are protection mechanisms, as are smelling bad and looking filthy. Unfortunately, these protection mechanisms make it difficult for people to move back into society once they have been trapped on the outside.
In the last 35 years problem has increased dramatically as low income housing is replaced with expensive condos, homes, and apartments. In the 1960’s, homelessness was hardly even even apparent, but with the rise of the middle-upper class in America, these people have been left high and dry.
Anyway, the Plymouth Church Foundation supports several low income communities around the twin cities. Check out their web page if you get the chance. They except donations here.
Also, visit A Night on the Street for more information on upcoming events.