Church Youth Get Their Eyes Opened About the Homeless
by Frank Gray (posted May 30, 2006)
As seen in The Fort Wayne Journal Gazette on May 30, 2006

Youth groups at Covenant United Methodist Church on North Coldwater Road are supposed to be involved in the community.

But how are fifth- and sixth-graders supposed to get involved? They’re little. They’re not strong enough to do any real physical labor.

They’re a little young to be given any particularly complicated chores. They could volunteer to perform minor duties, but the time when volunteers are needed most – during the day – they’re in school.

Last fall, about 15 kids involved in the group started talking about what they could do.

That’s a tall order for a group of kids maybe 11 or 12 years old, especially kids who, by their own admission, have it pretty good. In fact, say parents involved, they have pretty much everything they want.

Then they began pondering what it would be like to not have everything they want, what it would be like to be homeless. They started looking into it, a process that has continued since last fall.

What they found out was a bit of a shock. Sure, they might have heard of the homeless. They might have seen stories about it on television. But homelessness – that’s mainly a problem in big cities like Chicago and New York, right?

Then they toured the local soup kitchen and were astounded at how many meals the kitchen serves every day, many of them to the homeless.

They went to a food bank, learned how many people rely on it and helped sort food.

They went to a women’s shelter and were stunned at the sight of a mother and four children, homeless, living in one room, a room that in some cases wasn’t any bigger than their own rooms at home.

And they went to the Rescue Mission, home to a large number of homeless men.

So they decided, maybe they could raise some money for charities that help the homeless.

Once again, a tall order for a handful of kids who aren’t even teenagers yet.

Friday evening, the group will try for a real taste of what it’s like to be homeless and raise a little money while they’re at it.

Each one has a box – a cardboard box – and Friday evening they will spend the night in the box in the church parking lot. It will become their home, for just a night.

The rules are simple. Each of the students involved has to raise $100 in advance in order to take part in the parking lot sleepover. This rule was set to make sure the effort didn’t turn into just a slumber party.

At the end of the night, the money they raise – as well as a blanket and pillow that each was supposed to buy – will go to one of the organizations that help the homeless in Fort Wayne.

The pitch the group is using in looking for sponsors is unusual. Those who get businesses to sponsor them will paint the company name on their box. They are also inviting people to drop by the church at 10001 N. Coldwater Road and drop off donations.

As fundraisers go, the youngsters’ effort is creative. They aren’t pursuing a pastime in their effort to raise money. They’re making a real sacrifice because, regardless of how old or young you are, sleeping in a box on concrete can’t be comfortable.