Owners
What it's all about
This is something I have been involved in for a couple of years at my home University. The idea is to have a week devoted to giving people awareness of Hunger and Homelessness. Both Locally and Global. Activities include but may not be limited to the following:
-Sleepout for the homeless. This is a project where student spend the night sleeping out on campus to gain knowledge of being homeless. We are asked to bring nothing but ourselves (because it is cold we are to where plenty of layers) An ugly quilt (homemade sleeping bag) is provided and we hang out for the night. Most importantly; however, are the reflection periods. At the beginning of the night we are given facts; told a story of a homeless person, and then we reflect and light candles as we pray for the night and all that may be homeless and/or hungry.
Hunger Banquet...For this event the students are given a placement. High Class, Lower Middle Class, or 3rd world. Those in High class are seated by someone and have a 3 or 5 course meals (there are a small amount given this class) The next class is asked to seat themselves and are given things such as chicken tenders, hot dogs, etc. (there are more in this group but not to many) The 3rd world people are asked to wait outside. When they are finally allowed in the room they must sit on the floor and are given rice and broth. The leaders of the activity will at one point share statics about Hunger. Each person is also given a story/character that they are for the remander of the meal. Each class is only allowed to speak to others in their class. This event is mainly to show that you can't always choose your place in life.
Other activities during the week include but are not limited to:
Working at the Local Soup Kitchen
Making Bagged Lunches
Working with Habitat for Hummanity
etc.
What's needed to make it a reality
How it's done
This is something I have been involved in for a couple of years at my home University. The idea is to have a week devoted to giving people awareness of Hunger and Homelessness. Both Locally and Global. Activities include but may not be limited to the following:
-Sleepout for the homeless. This is a project where student spend the night sleeping out on campus to gain knowledge of being homeless. We are asked to bring nothing but ourselves (because it is cold we are to where plenty of layers) An ugly quilt (homemade sleeping bag) is provided and we hang out for the night. Most importantly; however, are the reflection periods. At the beginning of the night we are given facts; told a story of a homeless person, and then we reflect and light candles as we pray for the night and all that may be homeless and/or hungry.
Hunger Banquet...For this event the students are given a placement. High Class, Lower Middle Class, or 3rd world. Those in High class are seated by someone and have a 3 or 5 course meals (there are a small amount given this class) The next class is asked to seat themselves and are given things such as chicken tenders, hot dogs, etc. (there are more in this group but not to many) The 3rd world people are asked to wait outside. When they are finally allowed in the room they must sit on the floor and are given rice and broth. The leaders of the activity will at one point share statics about Hunger. Each person is also given a story/character that they are for the remander of the meal. Each class is only allowed to speak to others in their class. This event is mainly to show that you can't always choose your place in life.
Other activities during the week include but are not limited to:
Working at the Local Soup Kitchen
Making Bagged Lunches
Working with Habitat for Hummanity
etc.
Comments
the question, then, would be how do we extend these activities to the community at large - how do we get apathetic people involved in the activities in the first place?
I was very interested to see your idea as i work as a Keyworker at a homeless hostel in Staffordshire. I'm affraid I agree with Kat, we do not encourage sleep outs in our city as it really is no reflection of what its really like for customers to be homeless. 90% of the rough sleepers we work with have a substance misuse problem and will spend a good portion of the night being under the influence, being homeless for them is not only about a lack of food or shelter but also avoiding being assulted by other people, not getting chewed on by rats, making sure their squat doesnt get set on fire and mostly where there next fix will come from and they will do anthing to get this either by stealing or prostituting themselves out, night after night.
I find that most of the general public do not have much empathy towards rough sleepers and do not understand why they get stuck in this cycle of behaviour, educating people through experiance is the way forward but there is a fine line on where to start and what is really effective. Here is a good web site for you to look at if you are intersted www.theprodigals.co.uk
its all about young people at risk of homelessness and has been developed with the input of local and national goverment as well as real people who have had this life experiance.
Its nice to know your heart is in the right place, there are so many people who i come into daily contact with who do not know how or why i do the job i do.
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