Students Sleep Out for the Homeless

More than two dozen students slept outside on November 20 to raise awareness about the plight of the homeless. The students spent the night in cardboard boxes on the lawn of the Mirenda Center for Sport, Spirituality and Character Development. Because of temperatures that plummeted into the mid-20s, some activities that were originally planned for outdoors were moved into the Bayada Atrium to give students some respite from the cold.

The evening began with students walking in a candlelight procession to Our Lady of Angels Convent, where they were greeted by the Sisters of St. Francis of Philadelphia. After a brief prayer service at the convent, the Sisters gave the students their traditional Franciscan blessing in gratitude for the students’ support of a core Franciscan value – the dignity of people, regardless of their circumstances. The students then returned to the Mirenda Center and began the experience that would immerse them in the conditions that the homeless in America endure every night.

"It was a great opportunity to be a part of the sleep-out,” said Tina Grandizio. “Youth homelessness is something that is not talked about enough and bringing students together to raise awareness is a good start."

"We successfully raised $700 for Covenant House as well raising awareness for the cause,” said Amanda Saunders, president of the campus Peace Alliance. “The Peace Alliance will continue to work in solidarity with those who go without on a daily basis."

Later, in the comfort of the atrium, they watched The Human Experience, a film about brothers who travel the world in search of meaning. On their journey, they meet the homeless on the streets of New York City, orphans in Peru, and ostracized lepers in the forests of Ghana. Rather than being saddened by this experience, the brothers realize the beauty of the person and the resilience of the human spirit.

Roundtable discussions followed the film as did a quiz that put homeless statistics into perspective for the group. Students also shared posters that they had created about topics such as human trafficking, a living wage, juvenile justice, and mental health issues.

According to Sr. Peggy Egan, OSF, dean of students, “This type of student involvement is perfectly aligned with the values of our Franciscan tradition. Our students are bearing witness to the dignity of every individual, especially those less fortunate than ourselves.”

The Social Justice Committee and the Peace Alliance Club collaborated with the Office of Student Activities to plan and coordinate the sleep-out.