What would it feel like to sleep outside on a cold night with nothing but a blanket and a cardboard box for shelter? While most of us have never experienced it, homelessness is a reality for hundreds of thousands of Americans each day. A group of students at Northeast Texas Community College is looking to raise awareness of the growing problem of hunger and homelessness by hosting an annual overnight event called One Night In A Cardboard Box.
This year’s event will begin at 5 p.m. on November 14 and will end at 6 a.m. on November 15 on the NTCC main campus. It is open to all community members ages 12 and older. Admission to participate is three non-perishable food items that will be donated to the NTCC Eagle Pantry. Guest speakers Natalie Stuart and Heather Lacy-Chadwick will discuss some important issues on the topic of hunger and homelessness. Participants are asked to wear warm, comfortable clothes and bring one blanket or sleeping bag. They will be provided with dinner, cardboard boxes and duct tape. Organizers ask that participants not bring money or debit cards, food, snacks, electronics, camping gear, watches or jewelry. The event will not be canceled due to inclement weather. Check out the Facebook Event page.
“We have really been pleased with this event over the last few years. It is one thing to talk about a social problem, but another thing entirely to experience it for yourself,” Tonya Hammonds, President of the NTCC Social Work Club and founding organizer of the event, said. “Not only it is a wonderful experience for our college students, but we have also seen local families participate together. It’s really an exercise in empathy.”
The event is sponsored by the NTCC Social Work Club, NTCC Student Success Services, NTCC Student Activities, the Wesley Fellowship Center, Jo’s coffee shop and Le Fe Bakery.
A recent Trellis Foundation survey of NTCC students showed that 39% of respondents ate less than they felt they should in the last 30 days because there wasn’t enough money for food. Eight percent of respondents indicated they had experienced homelessness since starting college.
In response to this, the Social Work Club stepped up to create the NTCC Eagle Pantry, which provides food and hygiene items to current students. Plans are underway to expand the pantry and the services that are provided.
“Living in a rural area, I think we often tend to think of hunger and homelessness as something that is only a problem in big cities. However, that is just not true. It might be something your friends, family or neighbors are experiencing,” Carmen Shurtleff, Advisor to the NTCC Social Work Club, said. “Our goal is to help make sure hunger is not an issue for our students and to raise awareness of the problem among our entire campus community.”
For more information about the event, contact Shurtleff at 903-466-3347 or Hammonds at 903-285-0129.
